


Illicit Affairs

by thoughtsaboutshows



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Coworkers - Freeform, F/M, Longing Stares, cheating but in a loving way, enemies to friends to cheaters to lovers to enemies to lovers, illicit affairs, meetings in parking lots, okay maybe nick knows it, sabrina needs to be honest with herself, sex to love, sexual affair - Freeform, starts as physical, they can’t keep their hands to themselves, they love eachother they just dont know it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:48:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 71,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27092281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thoughtsaboutshows/pseuds/thoughtsaboutshows
Summary: She had never really meant for it to start.  It wasn’t like her, the secret meetings, hushed whispers, and built up lies.   But there was something about all of it that dragged her under the current and swept her up that she couldn’t deny or ignore. It was never her intention to start an affair with Nicholas Scratch.  Though it was somewhat of an inevitability.  From the minute they met, a line in the sand was drawn and they spent the better part of two years trying not to come closer to it.  But the magnetic pull between them was undeniable, and soon the line in the sand was just as messed up as their sheets.She hadn’t planned it, and the second she let her guard down they’d both fallen into a hole they couldn't quite climb out of.  She’d been sleeping with Nick for months and talked to him about more things than she never dared to with Harvey.Harvey.The highschool sweetheart she couldn’t let go. Or rather she couldn’t admit the relationship was failing, because she wasn’t a quitter.  But she couldn’t seem to quit Nick either.
Relationships: Dr. Cerberus/Hilda Spellman, Marie LaFleur (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina)/Zelda Spellman, Nicholas Scratch/Sabrina Spellman, Prudence Night/Ambrose Spellman, Sabrina Spellman/Harvey Kinkle (kinda)
Comments: 158
Kudos: 130





	1. Chapter 1: ice cream at midnight

**Author's Note:**

> So I wasn't planning on posting this so soon, and it was really gonna be a oneshot. But I posted a peek on tumblr and twitter and I was NOT expecting the excitement it produced. So it motivated me and made me excited so I worked on it a little bit today and decided since Cruel Summer is almost over that I'd make it a multi-chapter. I don't know how long it will be and my other WIP multichapter (Summer AU) will come out too, but I just got excited about this one. 
> 
> So we open kind of in the middle of our story at a Spellman Family dinner, before going back to the beginning in the following chapters. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

**Illicit Affairs** ****

_ice cream at_ _midnight_

She had never really meant for it to start. It wasn’t like her, the secret meetings, hushed whispers, and built up lies. But there was something about all of it that dragged her under the current and swept her up that she couldn’t deny or ignore. It was never her intention to start an affair with Nicholas Scratch. Though it was somewhat of an inevitability. From the minute they met, a line in the sand was drawn and they spent the better part of two years trying not to come closer to it. But the magnetic pull between them was undeniable, and soon the line in the sand was just as messed up as their sheets. 

She hadn’t planned it, and the second she let her guard down they’d both fallen into a hole they couldn't quite climb out of. She’d been sleeping with Nick for months and talked to him about more things than she never dared to with Harvey. 

_Harvey._

The high school sweetheart she couldn’t let go of. Or rather she couldn’t admit the relationship was failing, because she wasn’t a quitter. But she couldn’t seem to quit Nick either.

-

Sabrina didn’t knock on the door to the mortuary before making her way in the door. She hadn’t lived there in a while but it would always feel like home, and despite the bottle of red wine she had in her bag to share she wasn’t a guest. She stepped in the foyer, taking in the typical sights and smells. The living room was warm and inviting as it always ways, a raging fire going and a forgotten tray of tea on an end table. The comforting scent of tomato and garlic filled her nostrils as she stepped further into the house, Hilda was making lasagna. And awaiting her in the kitchen was the confirmation that her Aunt was making her favorite dessert too, peach pie with homemade ice cream. 

“I thought something smelled delicious.” Sabrina said as she stepped into the kitchen. Her Aunt yelped slightly, not realizing someone had come in. But when she saw it was Sabrina she enveloped her niece into one of the bear hugs that Sabrina could only describe as Hilda. 

“I’m so glad you’re here, dear!” She said before turning back to the stove and checking the lasagna that was in the oven. 

“Me too.” Sabrina said with a deep breath. “It’s been a day and a Hilda home cooked meal is exactly what I need.” 

“What happened?” Hilda asked curiously and eyed Sabrina a little concernedly as her niece pulled out the wine bottle and helped herself to an opener and a wine glass, pouring one for Ambrose too and wondering where he was at. 

“My boss didn’t exactly like the preliminary proposal I put forward. And she wasn’t shy about it either. She gave me criticism, but none of it was constructive.” Sabrina took a gulp of her wine and Hilda shot her another worried look. 

“I’m sorry, love. That doesn’t seem helpful. Did she uh...yell at Nicholas too?” Sabrina scrunched her nose, wondering why her Aunt Hilda was bringing him up. She never did, avoiding his name like the plague because she likely thought he was the Devil himself. Sabrina didn’t know that Hilda was wondering if she should expect the Scratch boy to be in a mood as well when he showed up. 

“No, Nick got out unscathed.” Sabrina grumbled. “But that’s probably because he wasn’t around to get berated.”

“Well that’s good I guess...I just wanted-” But she didn’t get to finish. Ambrose made his way into the kitchen as Hilda was speaking.

“Is that for me?” Ambrose asked, pointing to the glass of wine next to Sabrina’s near empty one. Sabrina wordlessly hands it to him as he takes a seat next to her at the table. His eyebrows raise, impressed, enjoying the wine she’d chosen. “This is a good Cab, cousin. I’m impressed. I haven’t heard of this brand.” He narrowed his eyes on the bottle and grabbed it to look closer. “Where'd you find it?”

“Uh, Nick showed me after work one day. I thought it was good so I bought a bottle.”

“Nicholas, huh?” Ambrose sent a smirk Sabrina’s way so she returned it with a glare of her own. Ambrose just chuckled and poured Sabrina some more wine, knowing she’d need it for who else was coming to dinner tonight. 

“Speaking of we’re going to have a full house tonight, Sabrina, so would you please set the table in the dining room?” Zelda spoke as she waltzed into the kitchen too, martini in hand. 

“Sure, but what does that have to do with Nick?” Sabrina asked her eyes darting to the different people in the room. Hilda wouldn’t meet her eyes, Ambrose looked smug while Zelda appeared annoyed to have to explain. 

“He didn’t tell you?” Sabrina shook her head in answer. “Well, he’s coming to dinner tonight.”

“What?” Sabrina stood up then, nearly knocking over the bottle of wine but Ambrose caught it in time. “Why is Nicholas Scratch coming to dinner?” 

“I ran into him out and about today and he made a comment about making a frozen meal and we all know what when Hilda cooks her lasagna she makes enough for the whole town so I figured, why not? ” 

“Why not?” Sabrina said with shock still in her voice. “I’ll tell you why not.” The sound of the doorbell cuts Sabrina off. “Harvey can’t come to family dinner, but Nick can?” 

Zelda rolled her eyes with that but didn’t answer. It was no secret her Aunt was not a fan of her boyfriend. And the thought of Aunt Zee being around Nick and Sabrina at the same time made the petite blonde nervous, especially considering what they had done last night. 

“Harvey’s out of town.” Zelda offered with a shrug. 

“So you invite Nick instead?” Sabrina threw her hands in the air but her Aunt didn’t offer more.

“Go get the door, Sabrina, before Mr. Scratch thinks we have no manners.” Zelda ignored her question.

"I thought I was setting the table." Sabrina challenged. Ambrose snorted, which Zelda did not appreciate so she turned to him instead.

"Ambrose can do that. You get the door and let in our guest." 

Sabrina muttered to herself before walking to get the door to let Nick in the house. Ambrose eyed her suspiciously, wondering why the addition of Nick to dinner had her so riled up. According to her they were friends, and according to him they wanted to jump each other’s bones. He didn’t see what the problem was. 

Sabrina braced herself to answer the door. Nick did something to her, ripped open her stitches and set them on fire, and it was only him that could temper it down. She could hardly keep her hands off of him, and being around him at work was hard enough. She was worried what would happen when she let him in the door of her childhood home. 

His smile was lopsided and sexy as he leaned against the doorframe when she opened the door. His look was piercing and they had only occupied the same space for a few moments. 

“Spellman.” He said and stood up straight, hands deep in his pocket. They stared at each other for nearly a minute before he spoke. “Are you going to let me in?” 

“This is breaking like a dozen rules, Scratch.” She said to him and pressed her lips together. His gaze darted to them, unable to hide how much he wanted to capture them with his. 

“It’s just dinner, Sabrina.” He told her. “Surely we can keep it together until it’s all over.” 

He took a step closer to her, inviting himself inside since she obviously wasn’t going to, and slipped past her in the doorway. He stopped in the foyer and looked around. He was curious about everything that had to do with Sabrina Spellman. He wanted to know it all, and visiting where she grew up seemed to be a good place to learn more.

“Fine.” She said after finally finding her footing. She held her chin high in the air but that only seemed to make his smirk grow. “But before you even ask, I’m staying here tonight.” He raised his eyebrows to which she narrowed her eyes to make herself clear. “And you won’t be.” 

He just chuckled and stood close to her again, the cool wind from the open door causing goosebumps to form on her skin. Right on top of the ones that formed with each step Nick took toward her. 

“Of course, Spellman.” With a wink he turned around in search of Sabrina’s family, the sounds of greetings and another glass of wine poured pulling her from her trance. She thought to herself before heading into what would be a very unnerving night for her, she _needed_ to figure herself out. 

-

Dinner was just as difficult as Sabrina expected it to be. Nick was perfectly respectable, complimenting every course Hilda had cooked, discussing current events with Zelda in that confident and well-spoken way of his, he even talked baseball with Cee and books with Ambrose. He managed to make it clear to the entire table how great Sabrina was at her job, making her blush and smile sweetly in his direction. Sabrina found herself even laughing at his jokes, which weren't the dirty ones he usually threw at her. She also found herself incredibly on edge when he’d slip his hand on her thigh underneath the dining room table or “accidentally” brush her hand when they both reached for the pepper. 

During after dinner drinks and games they proved to be the perfect partnership, knowing what the other was thinking without fail and absolutely crushing Ambrose and Zelda, much to their dismay, when they played charades. It was unmistakably clear to Sabrina that Nick could fit in there with her family, like the missing piece of the puzzle, in a way Harvey never has. It made her heart heavy in multiple ways, a deep longing setting in for Nick but also one for Harvey. A cutting and painful wish that she and Harvey could pull this off. 

When it was time for Nick to go she offered to walk him out, decidedly ignoring the looks she got from her family. He politely thanked Sabrina’s Aunts and promised to see Ambrose later, further solidifying the two were friends. They paused on the porch to say goodbye, and Sabrina wrapped herself in her arms in an attempt to keep her hands to herself. Nick’s hands were in the pockets of his jacket in attempts of the same. 

“I know this was weird, Spellman, but dinner was lovely. You have a great family and I can see why you're the person you are.” Nick smiled seriously and it was in these moments, when Nick wasn’t being cocky or crude, when he was sincere and sweet, that made it so hard for her to let him go. The sex was incredible but it was the way he could, even in moments like this that were bubbling with passion, make her smile from ear to ear and feel so damn good about herself. And not just because the sex was mind-blowing for him too. 

“Thank you, Nick.” She smiled and uncrossed her arms. He always had a way of making her feel at ease too, usually after he put her on edge. He could rev her up and then remind her he would catch her. It was exhilarating. “I’m glad you were here.” 

“Yeah?” Nick bit his lip and tilted his head to the side.

“ _Yes.”_ Sabrina answered and bit her lip too. “It was nice to see you in...other settings. Though I like our normal ones too.” 

His eyes darkened as he grabbed her waist and pressed her against the Mortuary siding, expertly hiding them from the open door and window. He licked his lips and eyed the way she bit down on hers again. Her own eyes darted up to look at the small space between his upper and lower lip, knowing the way his lips curved sideways had been what gotten hers into trouble. She thought about that small space and how she wanted to slip her tongue in between it, his groan being what would sing her to sleep that night. 

He made the decision for her and closed the distance, pressing himself against her further and slotting her upper lip in between the space she had just been admiring. She let out a soft sigh as he deepened it and moved one of his hands to her cheek, caressing it softly. It was a stark contrast to the way he was kissing her. But that was Nick, a clutter of fervor and tenderness, and he made her feel alive. Her hand trailed up his chest and he pulled away before her exploration could go any further. 

Sabrina intended to berate him, tell him he broke another rule. How could he kiss her on the Mortuary steps? What if one her Aunts came out? What if _Harvey_ got home early and showed up? As if sensing her inner turmoil he chuckled and turned her chin to look up at him.

“I only said we’d keep it together until dinner was over.” She pressed her lips together and giggled breathily. “Dinner’s over. So I am no longer able to keep it together.” 

Giggling again, Sabrina leaned up and kissed his jaw. His eyes closed once quickly at her sweet gesture. Their romantic interactions had started physical, passionate and near animal-like, but had morphed into something more. Something she was afraid to touch and he wouldn’t speak of it, too worried it would spook her. 

“I better go.” He took a step back from her, after realizing his whole body was still pressing her against the wall. “Goodbye, Spellman.”

“Bye, Nick” She said nearly dreamlike, still dazed from the way his mouth had worked against hers. “I’ll see you later.”

It was a promise and he made a promise of his own in the way he winked at her before turning to his car, pausing at his open door to stare at her before she offered a cautious wave and he took off. 

It took her a minute to calm herself and enter in the house again, going straight upstairs to take a bath. She didn’t want to hear her Aunts’ or Cee’s comments about how wonderful Nick was. She didn’t want Ambrose to once again, call out their chemistry or sexual tension. She knew all of this already and didn’t need to be reminded of the big fucking mess she’d made of her life. 

She made her way back outside eventually, craving some post-bath tea on the porch. Ambrose was there and she figured it would be more suspicious to turn around without a word, so instead she decided to risk it. Sabrina leaned against the railing, trying to look casual. 

“What’s up, cousin.” Ambrose asked, drawing out the word _cousin_ the way he does when he senses something is up with Sabrina.

“Oh nothing.” Sabrina took a drink of her tea, seriously wishing it was something stronger. “Just a stressful day.”

“Yeah you mentioned at dinner that your boss ragged on you today.” Ambrose answered. “Is that all?” 

Sabrina took the bait. She spun around towards him and placed her tea on the railing so she could cross her arms. 

“Of course that’s all.” 

“So your tweaking out has nothing to do with Nicholas?” He raised his eyebrows at Sabrina.

“Nick has nothing to do with it.” Sabrina attempted to sound serious but even she could hear the lie in her tone. 

“So Harvey then?” Ambrose decided to push another button.

“Me and Harvey are-”

“Don’t say fine, cousin. You two are not fine. He’s been dating you for years and I haven’t seen him in months. For someone who is oh so in love with you, he’s really made himself scarce.”

“He’s been busy.” Sabrina supplied, rambling, “They acquired two new sets of mines in the neighboring towns, Ambrose. And the new ones in Kentucky. You know that takes him out of town.”

“And yet, when he’s in Greendale I don’t see you rushing over to his place or him yours. You don’t even talk about him anymore.”

“It’s complicated okay, Ambrose? We’re going through a...dry spell.” Sabrina commented, thinking about how she and Harvey had ceased having sex long before she’d started her affair with Nick. “But we’ll pull through.” 

“What’s complicated about it? And where does Nicholas fit in?”

“You brought Nick into the conversation, not me.” Sabrina tried her best to stand her ground. But they both noticed she had referred to him as _Nick_ all night. Something only those close to him did. 

“And you don’t deny it. You seemed annoyed when you heard Nick was coming, yet you light up when he arrives and the two of you were damn near couple-y.” 

“Nick being here just made things way too complicated, I didn’t need any more drama today.”

“Why is Nicholas being here complicated?” Ambrose pushed, knowing he had his cousin right where he wanted her, about to spill whatever had her so worked up all night. 

“Because I’ve been sleeping with him for months, Ambrose!” Sabrina yelled and when she realized what she had said, what the neighbors would have heard if they had any, she slapped her hand over her mouth and immediately regretted going outside to talk with her cousin in the first place. 

“Oh my God, cousin. I thought it was just unrelenting tension and flirting.” Ambrose said, rubbing his face with his hand in an attempt to wipe his surprised expression off his face that was leaning more towards being impressed in the dim porch light. “An affair? And with Nicholas to boot. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“It just happened, and I really shouldn’t be talking to you about it. In fact, forget I said anything.” Sabrina responded in hopes that Ambrose would drop it, but knowing well that he wouldn’t ever do that. He’d been calling the sexual tension between her and Nick for years. 

“And why are you telling me about it, cousin? Not that I’d ever wanted to know, but you’ve never shared the details of your sex life with your vanilla boyfriend.” He tried his best to hide the disgusted look on his face. 

“Harvey is not vanilla.” Sabrina crossed her arms over her chest but couldn’t really come up with an argument to dispute her cousin’s claim. Before Ambrose would make some comment on how he obviously was or she wouldn’t have fallen into the arms of Nicholas Scratch, who was certainly not vanilla, she answered his initial question. “And I’m telling you because I can’t exactly talk to Roz about it. And-” 

“And there is a tsunami going on in that head of yours because this thing with Nicholas is not just physical and you are finding yourself falling deeply in love with him. And you’re trying to find a way to convince yourself that vanilla is your favorite flavor.” 

Sabrina glared at Ambrose but didn’t deny it. She began pacing this whole time, back and forth on the porch, as if stepping hard enough would open up a hole in the universe where she could hide forever.

Vanilla wasn’t her favorite flavor and it wasn’t satisfying, not by a long shot. Harvey was a simple flavor, dependable, she always knew what she was going to get. When he’d try to mix things up she would maybe go as far as call him a Vanilla Bean or French Vanilla. But even then, his idea of spontaneity was taking her to the diner over in Riverdale instead of Cee’s or springing for the name brand coffee instead of the one with the local grocery label. She had gotten used to the dull taste in her mouth when she kissed him and the way his hand on her hip felt just alright. 

Nick was like a midnight toffee. He tasted of dark-chocolate that was infused with espresso, smooth and decadent with a little bite, and a lot of mystery. He energized her and kept her coming back to figure out where that edge led next. But as she dug further she’d find bits of sweetness, like little pieces of chocolate candy strewn throughout for only her to discover. She couldn’t turn it down, the exact opposite of vanilla. 

The midnight toffee was intriguing and from the first taste, the moment she discovered there was more behind the darkness, she worried she’d never put down the spoon. But she also worried about what it would mean to give up on Harvey. On so many years. 

So she held on tight to the history, how many times had vanilla let her down? Next to none. He had never hurt her, but he didn’t exactly excite her anymore. Sabrina grappled with what she was doing as her cousin stared at her, trying to analyze what was going on through her head. Midnight toffee was exciting, but vanilla, vanilla she could rely on. 

“Tell me cousin, how did you go from ‘Nicholas Scratch is an incessant asshole’ to ‘sleeping with Nicholas Scratch on a regular basis while sweet Harvey is none the wiser’? Hmm?” Ambrose asked Sabrina, who had ceased her footwork after realizing the universe was going to keep her exactly where she was. 

“That is a long story, Ambrose. One that I myself don’t really know how to explain.” Giving up she plopped herself next to her cousin who sat perched on the swing. 

“I’m happy to help you tease it out.” Ambrose said sincerely, but Sabrina knew better.

“Yeah, so you can suggest that I leave Harvey and keep seeing Nick?”

“You said it, not me.” Ambrose quipped while leaning back and placing his hands behind his head. An unamused Sabrina responded with an eye roll and an intent to stand up. She had no desire to be mocked for her decisions as of late and would find another way to untangle her thoughts. Ambrose stopped his cousin from retreating with a hand on her shoulder. She stopped her ascent and allowed him one last chance to be serious and to offer the help she desperately needed. “Wait, cousin wait. I’m gonna be serious. Tell me everything and I’ll help you sort through it, without bias and keeping my own opinion out of it.” Sabrina raised her eyebrows at him and responded by holding up three fingers and smiling. “Scout’s honor.” 

She considered him for a moment, knowing she really did need help processing everything that had been happening over the last few months. Her cheeks blushed and blood burned as she thought about the best place to start. The first time they met? Even then Sabrina could tell you the moment their connection was born. Was it the first project they worked on together? When Sabrina swore she’d rip his head off but instead it was the best presentation she’d ever made. Or when he brought her tea in the afternoon after a particularly difficult morning meeting? It was then that she realized she couldn’t ignore the man if she tried. Where else could she start? Their first kiss? That weekend trip when they’d finally given in? 

“You promise you won’t tease me?” Sabrina turned to her cousin and nearly begged. “Because I don’t think I could take that. This is a fucking mess already, Ambrose. I don’t need you judging me too.” 

“Sabrina.” Ambrose answered her seriously and grabbed both of her hands, taking in how his cousin was nearly trembling. “I would never judge you. Talk to me, I am always here to listen. You know that.” Sabrina bit her lip and nodded. “Honestly, I’m impressed and a little bit proud.” 

“How so?” Sabrina asked him. She knew her cousin to be promiscuous, having seen Prudence sneak in and out of the mortuary too many times to count. But infidelity didn’t seem like something he’d be on board with.

“Because.” Ambrose squeezed her hand tight. “You did something _you_ wanted for a change.” Sabrina didn’t say anything, just smiling to herself and thinking about how right Ambrose was. She didn’t plan on allowing herself to take up residence in Nick’s bed, but she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t wanted it. 

“Okay.” Sabrina breathed deep and prepared herself to tell Ambrose everything. “We all know I didn’t particularly like him at first.” Ambrose nodded in encouragement, willing her to continue. “Eventually that changed and I found myself here. Dating Harvey and sleeping with Nick Scratch. I might as well start at the beginning so buckle up, Ambrose, because it’s a ride.” 

“I am all ears and trust me, cousin, I cannot wait.” Ambrose answered with possibly too much enthusiasm but it made Sabrina smile and made it easier to get the story out. 

Her cheeks felt warm for the second time since stepping out onto the porch with her cousin, the chill doing nothing to quell the heat she still felt after Nick kissed her goodbye earlier. She took another deep breath and told him everything. Hoping it would help give her answers. 

But deep down she knew the answer already.

She just had to be brave enough to take the leap. 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2: Turning (board room) Tables

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Sabrina met for the first time.

**Turning (board room) Tables**

* * *

There was nothing like waking up on a Monday morning to the scent of Hilda’s breakfast and fresh ground coffee. There were few guarantees in life, but Sabrina knew she could count on her Aunt Hilda’s pancakes to be extra fluffy and the blueberries inside them to be handpicked and bursting with flavor. The syrup would be of the Blossom variety, made right over in Riverdale and bought at the farmers market once a month. Hilda even pulled out her coffee grinder from the 80s each morning so the coffee was extra fresh and tasty.

At twenty-four, she still lived with her Aunts, which didn’t really bother her. Her cousin Ambrose lived there too, and he was a few years her senior and didn’t have any plans to move out anytime soon. And it was something that seemed to be pretty standard in her small town of Greendale. Her best friends Roz and Theo still lived with their families. And her boyfriend Harvey, whom she’d kissed at a bonfire at age 16 and had been dating ever since, lived with his father as well. 

She had a moment after moving out of New York and back home after college where she felt like she should strike out on her own. But there was something comforting about waking up to sweet smells of blueberries and Zelda’s cigarettes that she wasn’t quite ready to give up yet. Plus the next time she moved out it would likely be with Harvey, so why do it twice?

“Morning, Aunties! Ambrose!” Sabrina called as she walked in the kitchen. Her voice was a little too cheery that early in the morning for Prudence's taste which was evident in the way she scowled at her, having likely gotten little sleep after spending the night in Ambrose’s bed. “Prudence.” Sabrina said in a lower tone, trying her best to be civil. Sabrina’s cousin however was also chipper and bit into his toast with a goofy smile.

“Good morning, cousin. How are you this morning?”

“I am doing great.” Sabrina said with a smile and sat down, nodding at Hilda as she poured her niece a cup of coffee and set the cream nearby for her to use. Ambrose narrowed his eyes at Sabrina, noticing that while his cousin was usually joyful, there was something different about today.

“What’s different about you this morning?” Ambrose asked, pointing his finger at her. Sabrina pressed her lips together but could hardly contain her smile.

“Well, since you asked.” Her dramatic pause caused Prudence to roll her eyes and scoff in disgust while Ambrose leaned in intensely. “Today is mine and Harvey’s 7th anniversary of when we first said ‘I love you.’” 

Ambrose leaned back with a gruff and didn’t try and hide his distaste.

“Lovely.” He grumbled. “And here I thought you were gonna say something interesting like you discovered a new element or watched paint dry.”

“Ambrose.” Sabrina warned, ever growing tired of her family’s disapproval of her long standing relationship with Harvey Kinkle. 

“I’m sorry, cousin.” Ambrose spoke through gritted teeth before smiling as best as he could. “I know that meant a lot to you when he said that for the first time. Congrats on seven years.”

“Thank you.” Sabrina nodded, satisfied, but then corrected her cousin. “But actually we’ve been together for eight. It just took him a year to say I love you.”

“Imagine that.” Prudence teased but Sabrina rolled her eyes and ignored the dig. Prudence knew this already, and had made fun of her more than once for her belief in love. 

“Anyway, Harvey’s taking me to lunch. We’re just going to Cee’s but I hardly see him for lunches anymore. I didn’t think he’d be able to, Mondays are usually busy for him, but he’s making it work! And we may be doing dinner too.” 

“Well that’s lovely, dear.” Hilda added after shooting a pointed look at Prudence and Ambrose. While Zelda and Ambrose could care less about Harvey, Hilda had always liked him. She didn’t find him the most exciting guy, but he treated Sabrina right. 

“So I assume we shouldn’t set you a place at the table then?” Zelda asked while lowering her newspaper to look at her niece. “Or expect you home tonight?” 

Ambrose nearly spat out his orange juice at what Zelda was insinuating. She was always making hints here and there about Sabrina’s sex life, which he couldn’t imagine was too great.

“Jury’s still out on dinner, and I am not talking about the other stuff.” She looked over at her cousin who just smirked at her. “With any of you.”

She finished up breakfast with her family, and Prudence, the conversation shifting into something more pleasant before feeding her cat, Salem, and heading out the door. She opted to walk today as the air was still a little warm despite the Fall weather rolling in. She wanted to walk while she could, and the trek to the only tall building downtown was rather enjoyable. 

When Sabrina dropped her bag off on her desk she noticed a small yellow sticky note on her extra monitor in Lilith’s aggressive cursive.  _ See me before the meeting.  _ Lilith was like an indecisive ex. Sometimes she liked Sabrina and sometimes it seemed as if she were the last person on earth she’d want on her payroll. Sabrina could hardly keep up and while she didn’t always love the job, she was determined to do it right. And she loved the company. Sabrina figured one of the main reasons Lilith was so unsure about her was because of the company. And because of who Sabrina’s father was. 

With a sigh she picked up the sticky note before crumpling it in her hand and tossing it in the trash. After a gulp of her morning coffee, creamed and flavored to perfection, she set out in search of Lilith and whatever the Hell she wanted. When Sabrina entered the boss was behind her desk, her pink large-framed glasses hanging on her pointy nose. Sabrina didn’t say a word, knowing Lilith didn’t like someone to speak unless spoken to. 

“After the meeting Ms. Spellman, I’ll need you to show Mr. Scratch around and show him the ropes.” Lilith told Sabrina, barely looking up from a portfolio.

“Mr. Scratch?” Sabrina asked, having not heard the name of that coworker before.

“Yes, Mr. Scratch.” Lilith sounded annoyed at having to explain. “Our new marketing guy.”

“Since when are we getting someone else in marketing?” Sabrina was worried and crossed her arms across her chest. “I thought we were doing fine.”

“You are doing fine.” Lilith sighed and finally looked up. “Better than actually which is why we needed someone else. We’re expanding and Nicholas Scratch comes highly recommend by his former superiors. I believe charm and the ability to convince someone to buy anything came up more than once in his recommendation.”

“Why can’t Melvin show him around?” Sabrina questioned. She had a hard time hiding that she was threatened by this new guy. She was the charming one. She had the top clients.

“Because, Ms. Spellman, you’re the top creative marketer we have and I have a feeling you and Mr. Scratch will bring us in the clientele we’re looking for to take us to the next level. So you two need to bond and work together.” Sabrina sighed and nodded. She was nervous though. Typically charming in the marketing world was synonymous with asshole. “And I’d advise not to question me again. This is still my company.” 

“I know that.” Sabrina answered and narrowed her eyes slightly. This was a conversation she had had before with the woman. With another sigh she gave in. Sabrina simply did not have the energy to fight with her boss today, especially when she’d have to be the tour guide for the new kid. “I’ll show Scratch around.” 

“Good.” Lilith answered, dropping the portfolio she’d been reviewing like it was trash, even going as far as wiping off her hands. She stood up from her desk and nodded her head to the door, indicating it was time for the morning meeting. 

She took her usual seat at the conference table, noticing that Melvin was walking in looking timid as ever. Prudence filed in as well, shooting a wink that Sabrina dutifully ignored. Things between them had gotten better since high school and since she started treating Ambrose slightly better. But she still didn’t love seeing the girl every day at work  _ and  _ at the breakfast table. 

The noise of the conference room opening and closing broke Sabrina’s concentration from the meeting agenda she was studying. What she saw instead, she found she couldn’t look away from. He was a man, while not all that tall, was still around average height. He was dressed to perfection, dark slacks and a grey button down, and his hair was styled in a way that was professionally messy, if that was even a thing. His curls were arranged in an intentionally unintentional manner, and he looked like he should be stepping on a red carpet. Not a Greendale board room. He was good looking, and his lips curved up to the right in a way that told Sabrina he really could sell anything. 

Sabrina had no idea it was possible for a handsome personified to exist, yet here he was. Waltzing into the board room like it was his company and not his first day, his messenger bag tossed over his shoulder like a last minute accessory, was who she was certain was Nicholas Scratch.

_ So this was the new guy.  _

Immediately Sabrina felt the air in the room go thick and she did her best to focus on the notebook in front of her and not the man who had taken the seat across from her and trying to meet her gaze. 

His devilish smirk mixed with his dark eyes were like a blinking neon sign that said “danger.”

And Sabrina decided then that danger was exactly what he was. She felt a little scared, but didn’t know why. Her heart was pounding in her chest signaling to her brain that absolutely nothing could go right and nothing would be the same now that Nicholas Scratch worked there. She wouldn’t meet his gaze though and didn’t even look up when Lilith called on her, keeping her eyes glued to her client list in front of her, rattling off her monthly report. 

-

In her office Sabrina had barely gotten a moment to breathe before a slight rap on the door frame sounded through her ears. Nicholas Scratch didn’t wait for an invitation to enter her office, his knock only serving as a warning to his presence. Plus her door was wide open so he figured that was invitation enough. Sabrina raised her eyebrows at the intruder but didn’t comment. It annoyed her, the way he just walked in like he was on water, much like he did in the conference room not forty-five minutes before. 

“Hello?” Sabrina said to him, hoping he’ll forget all about her showing him around and just leave her alone. 

“Are you my guide?” He asked her, the corner of his mouth shooting up sideways again. His voice was smooth with just the perfect hint of roughness. She had tuned him out when he introduced himself earlier. His suaveness was on full display, but it honestly seemed like he wasn’t trying. It just came naturally to him, which made Sabrina even more mad.

“I guess.” She answered as she tossed a folder on her desk that she had been trying to look at when she came back to her office. Attempting to be professional she held out her hand. “I’m Sabrina-”

“Spellman. I know.” He cocked his head to the side. “Your reputation precedes you.” 

“Oh yeah?” She challenged him. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard someone say this.

“Well you’re Edward Spellman’s daughter so it goes without saying that you’re recognizable. But it’s your talent that really intrigues me.” He paused for a moment and Sabrina was shocked. Not many had ever commented on what  _ she  _ could do. It was throwing her off. “You have an impressive portfolio.”

“Thanks.” Sabrina grumbled, feeling a little uncomfortable under his stare. “So you must be Nicholas Scratch. New marketing guy. Good recs from New York.” 

He smirked at her comments.

“You can call me Nick.” He spoke in a flirtatious tone and Sabrina remembered the danger sign and threw up her wall again. “So where should I set up?”

“Set up?”

“Yeah, uh, they’re running a little low on offices right now.” He smirked again when he saw her eyes go wide. “So until they can clear one out we’re roommates.”

“No. Nope, no way.” She shook her head. “Not happening.”

“I don’t think you really have a choice.” He chuckled at her again. He noticed she was fiery and easily riled up by him despite just meeting. He was going to have fun with her. “Face it, you’re stuck with me, Spellman.” 

He flicked his eyebrows up once before depositing his messenger bag on the extra desk in the room, the one Sabrina used for storage and filing. The one she’d have to clear for the annoyingly good looking and annoyingly annoying Nicholas Scratch. He had called her by her last name, which no one ever did. And she couldn’t quite tell if she liked it or not. For now, because she’d just now decided she hated this man, she chose that she didn’t like it. Though she kinda did.

He moved then to sit in a chair and propped his feet up on the desk and leaned back with his hands behind his head. 

“So what first?” He smirked at her which grew when she rolled her eyes. “Give me the tour?” 

Sabrina spent the next half hour showing Nick around. He met the other marketing guy, Melvin, who was just as timid as he seemed earlier, but Sabrina commented that once and a while he has a breakthrough that clients love and is always a good listener when it comes to processing ideas. She showed him the art department and social media, taught him how to use the coffee maker the right way, because when done the wrong way coffee grounds and water would go everywhere. Sabrina even stopped in Prudence’s office, knowing that despite her typical sour moods, she’s a good person to have on your side. 

“This is Prudence, the company lawyer slash money manager slash sometimes compliance HR person slash basically if you need anything done Prudence is the one to go to.” Sabrina explained. It was true, she wasn’t really sure what Prudence’s job title was. But the girl did anything and everything, especially when it was a little shady. Totally legal stuff, she is a lawyer, but maybe a little frowned upon.

“Was that almost a compliment, Sabrina?” She drawled on as she tapped her manicured fingernails on the desk. Sabrina thought her eyes would be perpetually rolling at this point. Prudence turned to Nick and raised her eyebrows.

“Oh I know Prudence.” Nick commented, smirking proudly. 

“Really?” Sabrina asked, not quite catching on yet. “From where?”

“Around.” Prudence answered slyly. “I’d say Nicky and I know each other quite well.” 

They both snickered and Sabrina scoffed and left the room, mumbling to herself about annoying coworkers and cousin’s sex friends.

Later on when they were back in their office, Lilith dropped off an assignment for them both and started to put them to work. Sabrina listened as Nick talked on the phone to the client, some paper company in Pennsylvania. Despite the bore of the product, he spoke with ease and made it sound like the most interesting thing in the world. She was talented, but so was he it seemed. She knew she shouldn’t be jealous or petty and that hiring another person to market their clients should be a good thing, but she couldn’t help but feel a little stung that Lilith didn’t think she could handle it. It was another thing that struck her nerves when it came to the woman. One of many. 

“So where can I get lunch here?” Nick asked her, breaking her concentration a few hours later. “It seems there’s no Uber eats.”

“No there’s not.” Sabrina laughed. “Dr. Cerberus’s is good. Best burgers in town. It’s a diner down the street.” Sabrina looked at her watch. “I’m about to head there now actually.”

“Great, I’ll join you.” Nick slapped his desk and stood up. He would readily join Sabrina Spellman for lunch. The woman was beautiful, likely the most beautiful he’d ever seen. Her platinum curls hung just below her delicate chin and her lips were sinfully red. He thought they could get into some trouble together. She however pursed her lips together at the suggestion that he join her.

“You can’t, I’m meeting someone.”

“That’s fine, I want to meet friends.”

“Absolutely not.” She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. “Let me rephrase, Nicholas.” He chuckled at her intensity. “I’m meeting my boyfriend for lunch.”

_ Oh. _

Nick shouldn’t be surprised. A girl that beautiful was of course going to have a boyfriend. Usually he’d stop his pursuit then, leave the woman to her man. But something about her made him want to keep poking at her.

“Will you at least escort me?” He shoved his hands in his pockets to appear innocent. “I don’t know where it is after all.”

She considered him for a moment. His dark eyes were staring her down. What could be the harm in walking him to the diner? They’d part ways as soon as they got there. Something told Sabrina not to open that door, to keep the line in the sand drawn. But she ignored the blaring neon sign and nodded her head, leading him down the street to Cee’s. Leading them both down a road they couldn’t turn back from. 

-

When Sabrina and Nick entered the small-town bookstore slash diner, Nick didn’t hide his surprise. His description of the place as colorful and earned another eye roll from Sabrina. He may make fun of it, but Dr. Cee’s food would turn him sooner than he could smirk. Nick made to follow her when Harvey waved her over from their usual booth but she brushed him off, telling him to sit at the counter like a normal person. He made a joke in her ear as he passed, whispering a joke that nothing about him was normal, which she responded with a glare and a finger pointed in the direction of a stool.

She joined Harvey at the table, first leaning down to kiss him lightly in a way that didn’t leave her lipstick behind. He didn’t like when that happened, slightly embarrassed by PDA. He’d always been like that, even in high school he hardly ever pushed her against the locker to kiss her. She’d always wondered what it would be like to have someone gladly mess up her lipstick and be proud of the red imprints she could leave behind. She brushed off his hesitancy in kissing her in public as him being shy, knowing she was bold enough for the both of them, and made a mental note to bring the adventure out of him later.

They fell into easy discussion about their days, and while Harvey eyed the dark-haired stranger Sabrina walked in with, he hadn’t commented on it. He trusted her implicitly and he supposed she was allowed to have friends he didn’t know if she wanted. 

“Did you enjoy your sandwich?” Sabrina asked Harvey as the waitress picked up their plates. Sabrina has devoured her burger but Harvey has seemed to only pick at his turkey club, his mind elsewhere. 

“What? Oh yeah.” Harvey said with a smile. “I’m just not very hungry.”

Sabrina smiled in return, though it was closed lipped. She didn’t notice, but Nick sure did who sat a ways away at the counter. He wasn’t eavesdropping on his new gorgeous coworker or anything. There was really nothing to overhear. Sabrina and her boyfriend had barely spoken, and the conversation they did have seemed boring.

Sabrina noticed they didn’t talk much, but chalked it up to comfortable silence. Harvey was simple, and usually not up for the rousing debates she liked to have with others.

“Saving room for dinner tonight?” Sabrina suggested, leaning forward. 

“Yeah, uh, about that.” He scratched the back of his head. “I can’t do dinner, I’m sorry.”

“Oh, it’s okay!” Sabrina tried to say, though it was definitely not. Harvey didn’t pick up on her annoyed tone.

“Frank Meyers called in sick for the late shift at the mines so I gotta cover it. Sorry, Brina.”

“No harm, no foul.” Sabrina waved it off and covered up her disappointment with a sip of her milkshake.

“So who’s the guy you walked in with?” Harvey asked and changed the subject. The guy had been making eyes over at them all lunch long. He wasn’t going to say anything, but Harvey’s curiosity got the best of him. 

“Just a coworker. He’s new in town and didn’t know where Cee’s was.” Sabrina’s tone and short answer ended that conversation. She didn’t want to talk about Nicholas Scratch. Especially with Harvey. “Tell me about Tommy’s new girlfriend.”

Harvey jumped into an explanation about his brother’s latest girl. Apparently he met her at a small bar over in Riverdale. She was a school teacher, an absolute sweetheart, and Harvey thought she may actually be  _ the one. _ Sabrina thought about the one for her, and wondered if her one was Harvey. The thought didn’t bother her, but it didn’t really excite her either. She pushed the doubt down and slurped down the rest of her milkshake, smiling at the goofy way her boyfriend was talking and smiling back at her. She was content. 

-

Sabrina made it back to the office after Nick, having spent a little extra time with Harvey. He had winked at her as walked by her table. She held back the irritation in the moment, but once she had been separated from Harvey her annoyance began to build. When she got back to her desk she dropped her purse on her desk with force, the loud noise it made fully intended to break Nick’s concentration. 

He looked up at her in surprise and took in her disgruntled form. She stood staring at his arms crossed, foot tapping, the way her knee was popped forcing her skirt to ride up just slightly to expose some thigh. He couldn’t help but stare. 

“Care to explain yourself, Nicholas?” She asked him. Her big red lips were turned downward and teased him with how inviting they looked.

“What do you mean, Spellman?” Nick tipped his head to the side and folded his hands in his lap. 

“You spent a great deal of your lunch staring at my boyfriend and I instead of focusing on your meal.”

“I was staring at a lot of things, Sabrina. You’ve seen the place, it’s very eclectic.” He paused and Sabrina almost believed him. “But I will admit the most intriguing thing in there was you and your boyfriend. Watching him try to be interesting was very entertaining.”

“You don’t even know Harvey!” Sabrina boomed at him, grateful she closed her door and the walls were thick. 

“His name is Harvey?” Nick laughed outright once. “Even his name is boring.” 

“Who do you think you are?” Sabrina took a step towards him with purpose. Nick straightened up in his chair and leaned forward on his knees. “You can’t just waltz in here and make comments about my boyfriend. You don’t know me, Nicholas and you don’t know what the Hell you’re talking about. This is a professional environment, let’s focus on work.”

Sabrina was aware that she was possibly overreacting. Nick seemed to be an incorrigible flirt, someone who likes to cause trouble, and was probably saying all this on purpose. He likely wasn’t worth the heat pouring off of here in waves. But she was too angry to care and ignored the feeling she had in her gut that there may be some truth in what the new guy was saying.

“Okay.” Nick said simply, which only made her angrier. He stared at her for a moment, as if he was going to say nothing else. But he nodded once and cleared his throat. “Just making an observation.”

“Well your observation is wrong.” She huffed and turned away from him, making herself busy by pulling a folder out of a cabinet. She didn’t want to see that her cheeks were flushed from his intense gaze and the anger he pulled out of her. “Let’s just get started, Nicholas.” 

“I told you to call me Nick.”

“No.” She said in response and he chuckled at her and ran a hand through his hair.

He realized getting along with Sabrina Spellman would be harder than he thought, especially when she seemed dead set on hating him. He had no idea how much she hated admitting she was wrong and how when she dug her feet in the dirt she wouldn’t budge, no matter what force was trying to make her. He had never met anyone like her, and if she gave her a second to think about it, she had never met anyone like him either. 

-

Sabrina decided a long time ago that there was nothing better than a home cooked meal at the mortuary. After a bad day or a cancelled date, or in today’s case both, it was exactly what she needed. Her job kept her busy so a lot of the time she ate out or the leftovers. But on nights she made it back home in time to have Hilda’s cooking fresh, she relished in it.

Sabrina enjoyed a pre-dinner cocktail with her cousin while recanting her day, and describing her new infuriating coworker, after ranting about Harvey cancelling their dinner plans. Ambrose didn’t care much for Harvey Kinkle and he enjoyed hearing her cousin rag on him. But he found the way Sabrina’s cheeks turned red when she spoke of this Nicholas Scratch a hell of a lot more interesting.

“He’s the worst, Ambrose.” Sabrina explained between sips of wine. “He’s arrogant and big-headed, a cocky know it all, irritating as hell, and unfortunately very good at his job.”

“So he’s hot?” Ambrose quipped and Sabrina nearly choked.

“How did you get that from what I said?” 

“You blushed when you said ‘big-headed.’” Sabrina gasped, but was certain her face blushed red again. “Plus Prudence told me about him.” 

“Well if Prudence approves then I’m definitely keeping my distance.” Sabrina quipped and smiled to herself while Ambrose rolled his eyes. 

“Apparently they know each other. And by the way, you seem all hot and bothered I’m gonna go ahead and assume Prudence’s description of sexy devil in slacks is appropriate?” 

Sabrina scoffed at the comparison. It was frighteningly accurate, but she wouldn’t tell Ambrose how spot on it was. 

“She certainly got the devil part right. Ambrose, I don’t know how I’m going to work with him. Lilith expects us to be partners, to take the company to the next level. But I can hardly look at him without getting pissed off and he can’t go two minutes without flirting or insulting Harvey.” 

“Harvey?” Ambrose was really intrigued now. He wanted to know what an outsider thought of Sabrina’s long-term boyfriend. Most people had learned to accept his presence in her life. But he was curious about what someone who hadn’t seen them as bumbling teenagers thought of their relationship. “What did he say about Harvey. When did he  _ meet  _ Harvey?” 

“He didn’t meet him, he just saw him at Dr. Cee’s.” Sabrina pursed her lips before downing her glass of wine. “And I’m not telling you what he said, lest you like him more.” She got up to get herself another glass which brought an eyebrow raise to her cousin's face. "What? It’s not like I’m driving anywhere. Harvey cancelled dinner and I want wine.”

“I’m not judging you cousin. I just want you to pour me some too.” He held out his glass and Sabrina filled it to the top. She plopped back down on the couch next to him and threw her legs in his lap. “I’m only gonna ask you this once, and I’m doing it with complete sincerity and concern for your happiness. 

He paused and eyed Sabrina, knowing fair well that she could dump his glass of red wine over his silk shirt and stain it for life without thinking twice if she hated his question. She had done it before, back when she was home from college one Christmas and he’d asked her the night before about what she wanted as a gift. He’d been kidding, but she didn’t care and quite enjoyed wiping the smile off his face with a splash of red wine. 

“Go on.” She said tentatively, thinking back to the same memory and ready to strike if needed.

“Is there a chance that this Nicholas Scratch guy is right? That maybe you’ve outgrown Harvey?”

Sabrina considered him for a moment. It was a fair question, as they’d been dating for 8 years and not once had marriage or moving in together come up. Not once had they had a passionate argument followed by passionate makeup sex. But she was comfortable, and she’d know it if she’d outgrown him right? She’d always loved Harvey Kinkle. She didn’t know what not loving Harvey Kinkle would look like. 

“I love Harvey, Ambrose.” She supplied knowing it didn’t really answer his question. “I’ve always loved Harvey.” 

“You’re not bored?” He asked, risking the wine once again. 

“No, I’m not bored.” She answered and drank more of her wine, trying to hide the expression on her face with her glass that gave away that she might be lying. To Ambrose and herself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they've met. Sabrina is...unsure about him and a little off put. Nick is, well, intrigued. They're not gonna get along right off the bat, as Sabrina is gonna deny deny deny. She doesn't want to give up on 8 years with Harvey...and well it's gonna be another 2 before Nick and Sabrina...connect.
> 
> What's up with Edward Spellman? And why is the relationship between Lilith and Sabrina so tense? 
> 
> Anyways I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the tiny Office reference. Let me know what you think!
> 
> I'm genuinely gonna try to do (at least) weekly updates.


	3. Chapter 3: maple sugar and shedding light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sabrina may be starting to think Nick isn't so bad...

**maple sugar and shedding light**

* * *

Nick stopped at the local coffee shop to grab a couple of drinks for the morning. Greendale ran exceptionally slow, he was learning, and without the invigorating hustle and bustle of New York he needed a little extra caffeine. 

He was acclimating well, spending the last month getting used to bars that closed early and restaurants that didn’t deliver. The work was good. He’d been able to throw himself in it to distract himself from the sting of loneliness that came with moving to a new town. Prudence was there, which he was grateful for. But with Prudence came her sisters and he had no desire to get back into bed with any of them. Besides, Prudence seemed to be connected at the hip with Ambrose Speellman. Ambrose Spellman, who he had learned was the cousin of the beautiful and infuriating Sabrina Spellman.

His tiny coworker was full of fire and brilliant ideas and was damn good at her job. Lillith had been giving them mostly separate assignments over the last month. But when she briefly mentioned that Sabrina transfer over some of her clients to him, the blonde had nearly ripped him apart with her glare. She didn’t seem to like him, which was abnormal for him. His smile and flirting had always gotten _everyone_ to like him. He wanted her to like him too, and not just because she was making it so hard. He could sense her passion from the very moment he met her but she was also gentle and kind. He had seen the way she comforted Elspeth one day when her dog died. Sabrina Spellman had a heart of gold and a backbone of steel. And Nick couldn’t ignore the glaring fact that she was beautiful. He had seen, and been with, a lot of attractive men and women over the years. But no one had taken his breath away quite like she did. She was stunning and was completely off limits. 

He thought maybe, just maybe, she was softening to him a little bit. Her lips would curl up ever so slightly when he cracked a joke and he’d caught her staring once or twice when his brow furrowed in concentration. It’s possible that she wasn’t softening to him but just becoming more used to it, considering they still shared an office and worked similar hours. But he still wanted to try, so that’s why he picked up an extra coffee with two creams and three sugars. He’d observed how she took her coffee when teaching him how to use the maker one day. On a whim he had them add a pump of maple and cinnamon, thinking she’d like it.

He was reading the morning report when she walked in their shared space, today’s outfit being a dark purple sweater dress that hugged her body. She mumbled a quick hello before eyeing the paper to-go cup on her desk. She looked confused and didn’t know what to think at first. He bit back a smirk and didn’t look up from his papers.

“What is this?” She asked him while holding it up. It was still warm and smelled heavenly, but she was very confused as to what it was doing on her desk. She noted a similar cup steaming where it sat next to his stapler.

“It’s coffee.” Nick nodded while finally looking up at her. “I figured I’d grab you one when I picked up mine.”

“Why?” She asked him while narrowing her eyes and balancing on her two feet. She was nervous. Nick was being nice and it made her uneasy. 

“I didn’t poison it if that’s what you think.” Nick responded blatantly. “It’s not drugged either. It’s just coffee.”

“But why did you buy me coffee?” She crossed her arms, still not believing there wasn’t a catch.

“This thing where you think I’m out to steal your job?” Nick gestured around the room with his hand. “It’s all in your head. I’m just here to work. Maybe learn a thing or two from Edward Spellman’s daughter. And maybe buy her coffee once and a while when the day before was real shitty.” Sabrina’s face blushed immediately. The previous day had been bad. A long-time client had died and the guy’s son wanted to go with a new marketing agency. Sabrina had done her best to convince him to stay, even going as far to show him how her projected numbers were better. But the son had left anyway, picking the new company his girlfriend worked for. Sabrina had been crushed. This client was a connection to her father, as he had been the point of contact for the client initially. Nick had thought she needed a little pick me up. “Just drink the coffee, Spellman.” 

She did as she was told and took a sip. It was good, really good, and already brightened her day with its Fall taste and aroma.

“Is that maple?” She asked Nick, her eyes wide in enjoyment.

“And cinnamon.” Nick told her and shrugged, trying to look casual when he was brimming with pride that she liked it. “I thought you’d enjoy it.”

“I do.” She wiped some coffee from her lip. “Thank you, Nicholas.”

“Do you think you’ll ever call me Nick?” He asked while leaning forward. He had that devilish glint in his eye. Sabrina was curious what face she’d recieve if she gave in and called him what she wanted. She decided to let the mystery linger a little longer. 

She smirked at him and shrugged her shoulders. Lifting her cup she answered, “Keep bringing me coffee like this and we’ll see.”

They both had a smile on their faces the rest of the day. And she even bickered with him a tad bit less.

-

“I’m glad we got to do this.” Roz commented before taking a bite out of her cheeseburger. 

Sabrina was eagerly eating her grilled cheese and french fries. Her busy day didn’t give way to a decent lunch break. Her whole week was busy, and she was grateful it was Friday. She had guzzled the coffee Nick got her for breakfast, which she begrudgingly admitted to herself was both delicious and a nice gesture that he had done again today. It had maple and cinnamon, just like it did a few days ago. And for lunch she had chomped on a handful of almonds and yogurt in between meetings.

Meeting her best friend for greasy diner food was what Sabrina had been looking forward to all day. The two of them didn’t manage to line up their schedules all that often so when they did, they took full advantage of it and sat in the booth they had taken up residence in since they were ten years old and Sabrina’s Aunts allowed her to walk to Dr. Cee’s alone. On even rarer occasions when Theo and Harvey joined them as well, they laughed and reminisced about high school while trading their thoughts on whatever horror movie Sabrina had dragged them to. 

But as of late, both of the seats next to the friends were left empty, and it was just the two of them cheersing their sugary milkshakes and rehashing their last few weeks. 

“Me too, Roz. I’ve missed you like crazy. I hate it that we can’t see each other as much as we used to.” Sabrina answered, smiling at her best friend. 

“Things should be calming down soon.” Roz paused as she waved her fry in the air and reevaluated her statement. “Well, as calm as life can be for a ER nurse in med school.” 

“I don’t know how you do it Roz, honestly. I can’t imagine being in school right now with a full time job.” 

“Well it helps that I love it.” Roz shrugged. “We learned about the circulatory system last week and I had to mark off all the different veins and arteries in this cadaver. Wait, we’re eating. I should stop.” 

“Roz.” Sabrina tilted her head to the side. “Do you forget who I am? I love horror movies and I grew up in a mortuary.”

“Fair point.” Roz laughed. “What about you? Are things less crazy since the new guy started? What was his name, Neil?” 

“It’s Nick. Nicholas. He asked me to call him Nick but I haven’t.”

“That classic Sabrina Spellman stubbornness is coming through isn’t it.” Roz sent her friend a knowing smile. 

“Whatever.” Sabrina waved her hand in the air. “And you would think that things would get less crazy with an extra set of hands, but it’s sort of the opposite actually. Lilith has been giving us a bunch of extra assignments and has all these plans for us to get her clients in the city.”

“That’s good right? The more city clients you get, the greater chance of expansion. And there’s a lot of opportunities for clients in New York.”

“Yes it’s good.” Sabrina grumbled and took another bite of her grilled cheese. 

“But?...”

“But Nicholas is annoyingly charming and Lilith is on my ass nearly every day to get my work done and honestly it makes me really angry.” 

“I’m sorry, Brina. I know how much the company means to you. Any luck on figuring out how to get it back?” 

“Not yet. Lilith has her eyes on everything though. I haven’t even been able to get my hands on the transfer paperwork to see if anything in it would help me.”

“You’ll get it back some day, Brina. I really believe that.”

“Thank you, Roz. I sure hope so.” Sabrina paused and slurpled the rest of her milkshake.

The two friends fell into simpler conversation, Sabrina not wanting to think about her father’s company and who was currently running it. Roz filled Sabrina in on the cute guy in her pharmacology class. Sabrina’s best friend was halfway through medical school and kicking ass in her classes. She had surprised everyone when she announced that she was going to Greendale University for med school despite completing nursing school and working in the ER. She was able to pay her way with scholarships and a nurse’s salary. 

Sabrina would be lying if she said she wasn’t glad her friend wasn’t going to school far away. Theo was in and out of town, working as a motivational speaker and writing a book. And Harvey was well, Harvey. He was always at the mines and even when he was around she didn’t always feel excited to see him. He was just there. She didn’t question those feelings, chalking it up again to feeling comfortable around him. 

When they were both done eating, Cee came by and brushed off Sabrina’s attempts to pay. He had never allowed her to do so once he started dating Hilda, even though she tried every time. She always left a generous tip and whoever she was eating with, whether it be Roz or Theo, did the same.

After saying goodbye and sending Roz off to a night shift at the hospital, Sabrina headed home to the mortuary to what she hoped would be a quiet night. She planned to make a huge bowl of popcorn, sneak some M&Ms in and watch reruns of Criminal Minds until she collapsed in bed. 

What she was not planning on, was her cousin following her up the stairs to her room and trying to interrupt her night with attempts to drag her out on the town. Sabrina was not interested and she told her cousin as much. 

“Oh come on, cousin, you never have fun with me anymore.” Ambrose was nearly begging her to come out with him and Prudence to Dorian’s Gray Room. Sabrina didn’t mind the bar, she actually liked to go from time to time. But Harvey didn’t fit in with the velvet couches and dark corners. “I miss you.”

“I don’t want to watch you and Prudence devour each other. I’m not up for being the odd man out.” Sabrina answered as she moved to take her earring out for the day. Her cousin stood in her bedroom wearing a silk shirt and billowy pants. Sometimes he was just too much.

“But you won’t be the odd man out.” Ambrose smirked at Sabrina’s confusion. “Your handsome new coworker, Nicholas, will be there.”

“And you think that’s gonna make me want to go?” Sabrina scoffed. “Now I’m definitely not going.” 

“I thought you were getting along with him. Didn’t he bring you coffee a few days ago?”

“Doesn’t change the fact he’s arrogant and annoying.” She conveniently left out that coffee was waiting for her this morning too. 

“Come _on,_ cousin. It’s just a few drinks at Dorian’s. If you’re bored you can go. But I happen to know you have a favorite booth there and a favorite drink. Let me buy you a Paloma.” 

“Can I invite Harvey?” Ambrose didn’t even try to hide his distaste at the mention of inviting her boyfriend. “

“Doesn’t he hate Dorian’s?” Ambrose asked with a slight scowl. 

“If you say yes, I’ll come.” Sabrina ignored his jab but sent him a pointed look. 

“Fine. But don’t ask me to be nice. Frankly I’ll probably just ignore him.”

“Wouldn’t expect anything less.” Sabrina said as she walked over to her closet. “Give me ten minutes to change.”

Ambrose nearly laughed out loud at her. She eyed him in a surprised way, not expecting his outburst. 

“Cousin. It is seven o'clock. We’re not going out until at least nine PM.” 

“Wanna sit on the couch and watch Criminal Minds with me then?” Sabrina suggested. She knew Ambrose was a lot like her. He enjoyed the darker things of the world, and loved a good crime show. And crime shows didn’t get any darker than Criminal Minds.

“You set the TV, I’ll make the popcorn.” He responded with a clap of his hands.

“Don’t forget the M&Ms!” She called after him when they made it downstairs and he went into the kitchen. He poked his head in the living room once.

“I would never.” 

-

Nick tossed back some of the expensive bourbon and tried to tamper his glances at Sabrina Spellman. She was heading to the bar with her eclectic cousin, Ambrose, and the two were getting the next round of drinks. Ambrose was an interesting man and definitely the type Nick had had fun with in the past, but his eyes would not leave the tiny blonde who was full of fire and brimstone in her turtlenecks and plaid skirts. 

He was hesitant at first when Prudence invited him out. The fact that her sisters were busy and wouldn’t be there nudged him further in the direction of coming. But when she mentioned that Ambrose was going to try and drag Sabrina out with him, he knew he had to be there. 

He knew he couldn’t have her. But she was so damn interesting and he enjoyed their conversations, that is when Sabrina allowed them to actually talk instead of bicker. 

She appeared to be in a good mood when she’d shown up. She certainly looked trilling in a tight pleather skirt and a wine colored silky tank. It showed off her skin in the perfect way and he couldn’t help himself from sneaking a glance or two. 

The four of them got along, Sabrina getting into their conversations and allowing Nick a chance to speak. She raised her eyebrows, impressed at his extensive knowledge of literature when they had gotten into a debate as to why the classics were actually considered classic. 

Sabrina was a staunch believer that Jane Austen was one of the greats, if not the greatest female author. Apparently she read Pride and Prejudice every Christmas and loved it despite the fact that one might call it the “mainstream Austen novel.” As one of the first female authors not to use a male pseudonym, Nick was unsurprised she was Sabrina’s favorite. Nick was partial to the Bronte Sisters, feeling Austen was incredibly talented but slightly overrated. He even read some Dickenson when he was in the mood to read poetry.

She was quick witted and whip smart and even Sabrina was willing to admit she was enjoying the back and forth. Seeing Nick outside of the office allowed her to see him in a different light. While he was competitive and worked hard during the work day, she could see he was more laid back. He wasn’t uptight and the air of confidence that hung around him like a thick cologne was palpable. And she didn’t find him quite as arrogant as maybe she first thought. Sabrina considered, as Nick quoted Kafka in a way that displayed his intelligence that was simply impressive and not braggy, that she may have misjudged him. It was nice to have conversations like this. Harvey had tried for years to get her into comics and she had tried too, but it wasn’t successful. And in high school Harvey was more likely to watch the movie or download sparknotes for literature class. 

Nick’s mood was dashed though when she mentioned, her words smashed between musings of personal issues with the Scarlet Letter, that her boyfriend was coming. He had no desire to interact with this man. What he’d seen at Cee’s a month ago told him enough to know that he was boring. The perfect small town gentleman. This Harvey Kinkle was running late, and Ambrose was tired of waiting so he and Sabrina had gone up to the bar to get drinks for their table. Nick’s eyes followed her across the room. 

“You like her.” Prudence spoke as she sipped on her near empty martini. Her eyes drifted to Sabrina, having caught him staring.

“I don’t like people, Prudence.” He answered her, hoping she’d drop it. 

“Fine you want to screw her then.” Prudence said it so casually and he nearly choked on his drink. 

“I don’t.” He really didn’t have feelings for her. He barely knew her and she scorned him and yelled every chance she got. But he couldn’t deny she was beautiful and he couldn’t deny he loved to work her up. He’d like to work her up some more. It was impossible not to imagine what her red lips would look like in the shape of moaning his name. “She’s a decent conversationalist. Besides she has a boyfriend.” 

Prudence scoffed, ready to spew her honest thoughts about Harvey Kinkle, but shut her mouth as Sabrina and Ambrose returned from the bar. Never once had a boyfriend, or a girlfriend for that matter, stopped Nicholas Scratch from going for what he wanted. And Prudence sensed that there was a little more to the attitude Sabrina threw in Nick’s direction.

They were nearly ready for drink numer three when Sabrina’s phone lit up again. She had been checking it periodically to see if she’d missed something from Harvey. He didn’t usually leave her hanging and even when he cancelled it was never short notice. So when he read the message that said he wasn’t coming, something had come up, she didn’t hide her disappointment well.

“What’s up, Spellman?” It was Nick who noticed the change in her first.

“That was Harvey.” Sabrina bit her lip and looked at her hands. She didn’t want to look at the rest of the group. “He’s uh, not coming.”

“Shocker.” Ambrose said almost immediately. 

“Ambrose.” Sabrina warned, finally looking up at him with a pointed look. It wasn’t as fierce as it would usually be though. Nick sensed she was genuinely upset. 

“What is it this time, cousin? What excuse did he give for not coming out to Dorian’s with us.” 

“He’s with Tommy and they’re in the middle of a heated Madden Game. He couldn’t leave.”

Nick couldn’t help but snort but after a glare sent his way by Sabrina made him think the delicate progress he had made with her may have been a waste. He had tried to cover up his response with a cough, indicating to his throat that the bourbon he drank burned it. But she was attentive and caught the laugh and had been observing he didn’t flinch once all night from his drink. It wouldn’t happen randomly now, and Sabrina knew it.

“That’s a bummer, I would have loved to finally meet him” Nick said while trying his best to seem genuine. He wasn’t sure whether he was or not.

“Careful, Nicholas.” Sabrina warned at the same time Prudence spoke her mind. She didn’t have the same hesitancy around Sabrina Spellman that Ambrose and Nick did.

“Trust me it’s not.” Sabrina narrowed her eyes at her. Prudence shrugged off the glare and grabbed Ambrose’s hand. “As much as talking about _books_ has been invigorating, Ambrose and I are going to go and engage in something that is much more so.”

“Don’t mock books, Pru.” Nick placed his hand on his heart as if wounded. “You know it makes me cranky.” 

Prudence rolled her eyes but didn’t bother with a response. Instead she pulled a smug Ambrose to the back rooms. When Sabrina realized what was happening she began to protest.

“Ambrose, don’t you dare. I can still exercise my right to leave.” Ambrose simply saluted his cousin, feeling even more smug because he knew leaving her alone with Nicholas was the last thing she wanted. When he and Prudence disappeared behind a velvet curtain, she crossed her arms with a huff. 

“Come on, Spellman. Is being alone with me so bad?” 

She looked at him then and noticed just a sprinkle of hurt and eagerness for her to deny it. It was there, just below the surface of the sarcasm and smirk. It was like the corner of a wrapped present pulled back just slightly. It would be so easy to grab and rip at it and maybe she’d see what was inside. Maybe she’d like it and the arrogance and charm he showed was just pretty paper, shiny and colorful. The real stuff on the inside. She took a deep breath and decided that maybe he wasn’t so bad.

“No it’s not that, Nicholas.” He raised his eyebrows in encouragement, sensing she needed to be invited to keep going. With a sigh she continued. “It’s that Ambrose invited me out to hang out with _him_ and he just bailed to go do God knows what with Prudence in one of Dorian’s private rooms. And Harvey bailed too to hang out with his brother, that he lives with and works with, and sees every day.” 

Nick didn’t understand why anyone would want to bail on Sabrina. He didn’t get video games in general, always preferring to spend his childhood in his family’s library rather than in front of a screen. But even he’d take an evening with Sabrina over one with Faulkner any day. Nick considered his words carefully. He didn’t want to mock her boyfriend, well he did but that would send her running. If he said something heartfelt, she may run even further. So he settled on a joke. That seemed like good middle ground.

“Well I won’t bail on you, Spellman. Though you probably want me to.”

That made her laugh, a real genuine sound that she felt throughout her whole body. Nick was smiling at her. It was real and genuine too, and she found she wanted to see it again. 

“Also I’m super annoyed because he’s my ride. And I’m exhausted and I want to go home.” 

Nick set his glass down, he hadn’t drunk from it in a while anyways, and leaned forward on his knees.

“I’ll drive you home.” He said with certainty and stood up to indicate he was serious. 

“You don’t have to do that, Nicholas. I’m sure they’ll be done soon.” But Sabrina bit her lip, knowing that was wildly inaccurate. 

“Spellman.” Nick smirked at her. “Trust me, Prudence likes to take her time. Ambrose doesn’t seem like the one and done type of guy either.”

“First of all, _ew,_ that’s my cousin.” Sabrina answered while standing and downing her drink. She accepted the fact that he’d drive her home after a yawn and realizing just how tired she was. “Second of all, how do you know Prudence again?”

“I was at Columbia at the same time she was.” Nick answered. “We uh, got to know each other pretty well.” 

“You went to school in New York?” Sabrina asked him as she slipped on her coat and followed him out. He’d held the door for her and instinctively walked on the right side of her, the one next to the street. It was gentlemanly and further indicated that she may have misjudged him

“I did.” He answered with a slight chuckle. He had listed off that fact in his first meeting at the office, when she was avoiding his glances. “You went to NYU right?” 

“Yeah…” She looked at him and found him already looking at her. “How did you know?” 

“You have a pendant on the wall in your office.”

“Our office.” She corrected with a wink. He didn’t answer but he swallowed wide. Was she flirting with him? What was she doing? 

When they made it to his car he opened the door for her and they sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes as he began the drive. The only conversation was Sabrina giving directions here and there of where he should turn to get to the Mortuary. Nick had some folky playlist going, which wasn’t really surprising to her, and despite the comfort she was starting to feel between them, the air also hung slightly heavy. She spoke again, if only to ignore the questions being raised in her head. 

“I can’t believe we were in New York at the same time.” He smirked at her attempts to make small talk.

“New York is a big city, Spellman.” He pointed out. “Plus, I’m a few years older than you.” 

“I guess you’re right.” She agreed. “But I feel like the marketing world is pretty small.”

“True.” He agreed as he pulled into her driveway and put his car in park. “But you moved and worked here. I stayed in New York.” 

“Which brings me to the question.” Sabrina turned to him after unbuckling. “Why did you move to Greendale? There’s plenty, if not more, opportunities in New York for marketing. Why here?”

Nick paused before he answered. He didn’t really want to get into that now. 

“I was intrigued by working at your father’s company. And I needed a change of pace.” 

“It’s Lilith’s company now.” Sabrina grumbled, not hiding her annoyance. “Greendale is certainly a change of pace.”

“It’s not so bad.” He stared into her eyes and held her gaze for a moment. Sabrina felt exposed, like he was looking right into her core. She felt a pull, but glued her hand to the car door to prevent herself from leaning in. Nick couldn’t help but feel like he was dropping her off after a date. He certainly felt that familiar desire to kiss a girl goodbye. She cleared her throat, breaking the moment. But still, she smiled at him. 

“Thanks for the ride, Nick.” He didn’t hide his own smile at her calling him by his shortened name. Her widened smile in response told him she knew exactly what she was doing. She had wondered what would happen if she called him that, and she was glad she had done it. It had been worth the wait. “Have a good weekend and I’ll see you Monday.”

“You too, Spellman.” He didn’t actually comment on the name change, knowing if he did she’d go right back to calling him _Nicholas._

But he did wait until she was in the house to pull away, something that Sabrina noticed. She decided as she watched his headlights disappear as he pulled away from the mortuary, that yes, she definitely misjudged this new coworker of hers. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Lilith owns the company, but it used to be Edward's?? More information about that coming soon. But Sabrina wants to company that much is clear. 
> 
> She is starting to soften to Nick a bit. She knows something is there, but isn't quite ready to admit that it'll be anything more than friendship. At least she calls him Nick!
> 
> Also if I'm being honest, I LOVE Pride and Prejudice. It was one of my favorite required readings from school. I have this super gorgeous version that's leather bound and I love reading it. 
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you think! I'm hoping to be able to do weekly updates with this story.


	4. Chapter 4: you got a friend in me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nick and Sabrina share a little more and our favorite blonde celebrates a birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is up later than I'd have liked. My mom cut her finger pretty bad and I had to put the job-required first aid training to good use. It's a good thing I'm not squeamish when it comes to blood. ANYWAYS, let's see our fave pair become real friends.

**you got a friend in me**

* * *

Sabrina’s steps returned to their bouncy form in the weeks following her night at Dorian’s. She and Nick had fallen into a steady rhythm at work and even switched off buying the coffee. Once Sabrina had sneakily ordered him a Fall latte, finally getting him to try her sweet and spicy concoction that she’d been bothering him about for weeks. 

He nearly dumped it out, insisting coffee should always be dark, bitter, and black. But the eager smile her red lips formed when he’d realized what she’d done twisted his arm to try it. He told her that it was  _ not terrible,  _ but had admitted a few days later when he showed up with another one on his day to buy coffee that he really liked it. She nudged him with her elbow and said _ I told you so  _ with the widest grin and he decided the honesty and admitting he liked the fancy coffee was worth it.

Nick picked up on her good mood right away. He found that he was easily attuned to how she was feeling. It was something he realized he had no control of or even intended to do. He could just tell when she was feeling off, or in today’s case on. 

“Someone’s got a spring in her step.” Nick acknowledged. Nick might have scared her if she wasn’t so used to him being in their shared office when she got there. 

Nick was not a morning person but once he finally tore himself out of bed he liked to start his day. In the past he was usually escaping someone else’s bed before the sun came up, but since moving to Greendale he hadn’t had the same desire to ruffle strangers’ sheets. He didn’t dare think to admit to himself that it had something to do with his blonde coworker he was buying coffee for more often than not. He told himself the passionate girl he worked with wasn’t what made him want to cease sleeping around. Or rather not start sleeping around in this tiny new town of his. No, she wasn’t consuming his thoughts at all. Yet he could tell simply by the way she walked or the angle in which her mouth was turned upward whether or not her mood was good or bad. 

“It’s gonna be a good day.” She smiled as she breezed through the room. He couldn’t help but smile back at her as her eyes shone and her genuine happiness lit up the small space. She turned to him with intent. “Good morning, Nick.”

“Good morning, Spellman.” He answered with a wink. He did so every morning, and he was thinking that the playful way she was rolling her eyes meant it didn’t piss her off like it used to. He had been around for nearly two months and he thought she finally didn’t hate him. “What’s got you all kinds of cheery today?” 

Sabrina bit her lip and smiled to herself, turning around to set files down to hide her blush. She wouldn’t admit to Nick that Harvey had snuck into her room last night for the first time in a few weeks. He didn’t really need to sneak, they’d been dating since they were sixteen and it was to no one’s surprise when she announced with purpose that she wanted to go on birth control on her seventeenth birthday. She had an IUD now, but she and Harvey didn’t get all that many chances to connect on that level. 

She supposed it was good, he was the only one she’d ever been with, and last night she got him to try one particular move she’d been reading about. He fumbled a bit, was a little awkward, but he was Harvey and had gotten her close enough to the final result in the end. She may have had to finish herself off once he fell asleep but it was still nice. Her cheeks were warm just thinking about it. And when she turned around to look back at Nick to come up with some excuse for her cheery mood, Nick narrowed his eyes and smirked at her. Nick knew exactly what had happened to put a smile on her face. 

“Ah not so much a good morning as a good night.” He teased her, throwing on a layer of smugness to hide the twinge he felt in his chest. He didn’t really know why it was there. Sabrina had been dating this Harvey guy for years, of course they were having sex. It was a mystery to him though how this guy could be any good in bed when he had nothing to say to her in Cee’s and stood her up at Dorian’s. Sabrina gasped at Nick’s comment and suddenly felt even warmer. The air grew thick around them again, which was happening lately since she finally gave in and called him Nick. She busied herself with the mundane task of refilling her stapler as he smirked and chuckled, proud of himself for making her squirm. 

She chose to ignore his cheeky comments, while ignoring the heat building up in her even more. Nick did something to her, something that was trying so hard to get noticed. Here she was on the morning after having sex with her lovely boyfriend, sex they maybe had a few times a month these days, and she’s thinking about her dark and mysterious coworker and they way he gets her blood pumping. She decided to change the subject and come up with an excuse.

“It’s not that.” She said pointedly but he caught on that yes, it was definitely that. “My birthday is on Saturday.” 

“Hell yeah. Happy early birthday, Spellman!” He responded cheerfully. She felt more at ease seeing as he had seemingly dropped the whole sex thing. 

“Thank you.” She responded with a firm nod. She made a decision then, partly because she was curious about him and partly because she actually enjoyed his company. She walked over to his desk, clapping her hands back and forth as she went to look normal, and perched in front of him. She took this position a lot lately to bounce ideas back and forth off of him. He was a good springboard of knowledge, and wasn’t afraid to tell her his genuine opinion of her ideas. There weren’t too many times he disagreed with her as he thought her ideas were usually brilliant. But when he did, their back and forth usually got them to an idea that was even better than the first. “Speaking of, would you like to come to my birthday party?” 

“Your birthday party?” He asked as he tilted his head to the side. “Do I get a goody bag?”

“Forget it.” She grumbled and rolled her eyes while hopping off the desk. Nicholas Scratch was hopeless. 

“Wait, I’m sorry.” Nick grabbed her wrist to keep her from going while holding back his laughter by pressing his lips together. She pulled her hand away and glared at him. They both hid their reactions to the jolt of heat at their hands well. Nick distracted himself by turning his gaze back to her. Sabrina looked adorable with her crossed arms and pouted lips, like a kid who’s new best friend just told them they hated their favorite Disney Princess. Nick wasn’t against the party, he just hadn’t been to what someone referred to as a birthday party since he was twelve years old. Birthday drinks? Of course. Birthday sex?  _ Definitely. _ But a birthday party? Not so much. But he found he wanted to go, especially a Sabrina Spellman birthday party. That he had to see. “Tell me about it.”

“Consider yourself uninvited.” She told him. Her chin was lifted high in the air but he could tell she wasn’t serious by the way her lips quivered and tried not to tilt into a smile. 

“Come on, don’t make me beg.” He sent her the lopsided smile that he knew worked wonders on most women, and it seemed she was no exception. 

“Fine. You can come.” She conceded and he punched a fist in the air in celebration which forced a laugh out of her that she had been trying to keep in. “It’s at six, it’s a bonfire, and a costume party.”

“Costume party?” Nick raised his eyebrows. “I don’t do costume parties.”

“It’s on Halloween, Nick.” She informed him in another pointed tone. 

“I’m aware, Sabrina.” He mimicked her tone of voice while smiling at her. 

“Then don’t dress up. See if I care. But don’t come crying to me when you’re the only lame one in civilian clothes.” Sabrina shrugged and finally walked to her desk, a smirk planted firmly on her face. He let her go this time, thinking to himself that there was no way in Hell he was putting on a costume. And also thinking that come Saturday at six o’clock when he rolled up the mortuary, he would definitely be wearing a costume. 

\- 

When Nicholas Scratch pulled up to the Spellman Mortuary shortly after six, the ramblings he’d heard around town about it made sense. People would whisper about the Spellman Family in the grocery store or at Cee’s, making comments about their haunted-looking house and strange eclectic ways. He had yet to meet either of Sabrina’s aunts, but if they were anything like her cousin he was sure they’d be interesting. 

When he did meet them, introduced by Ambrose as the birthday girl was flitting around somewhere, he could see exactly how Sabrina had developed the personality she had. Her Aunt Hilda was clearly a caretaker and had shoved a drink in one of his hands hand, a cookie in the other, essentially the moment he stepped on the lawn. The other Aunt, Zelda, was a bit more fierce. She had a passionate and protective nature that Nick picked up on immediately. She had sized him up and down, welcomed him to town and her deceased brother’s company, and from the approving look on her face he assessed that he had passed some sort of test. He didn’t know why it meant something to him that her aunts seemed to like him, but it warmed his heart in a way he hadn’t experienced in a while. 

After meeting the aunts and Ambrose had introduced him to a few others from around town he saw her from across the lawn. He didn’t know how he hadn’t seen her sooner, her beauty and presence drawing him to her from the moment he finally caught her shining hair in the dusk. He peeked at his watch, noting that it was about half-past six and he found that he had been there for a while, chatting up the Aunts and various others. This had meant he had shown up on time, something Nicholas Scratch never did. He didn’t take the time to think about why he had skipped his usual play of rolling into a party when it was hours in, staying for a while before dragging someone random out the door. He had even shown up in costume. 

Sabrina caught his eye then before he could contemplate too much. She smiled and looked him up and down too, assessing his outfit and throwing him a thumbs up as she made her way over. She was dressed as a witch, her dress short, beautiful, and intricate with a pair of black fishnets that contrasted her pale skin. Her trusty headband was replaced with a matching hat but her ruby red lips were firmly in place, and the smile they held was pointed in his direction. 

“You came, Scratch!” She said by way of greeting. 

“Of course I came.” He smiled at her and then with a teasing smile added, “What else are semi-tolerable coworkers for?” 

She rolled her eyes and pressed her lips together, embarrassed. He chuckled playfully, not upset at all at the memory he was referencing. A few days prior, the day after she invited him to the party in fact, he had overheard her talking on the phone to her cousin. She was informing him to add another person to the guest list and when he questioned who and then teased her for inviting the  _ arrogant asshole _ she worked with, she had changed her description of him. A _ semi-tolerable coworker _ was his new description and he had found it hilarious. She didn’t correct herself when he’d teased her about it that day, too timid to admit to him that she had only said that to get Ambrose off her back. She could barely admit to herself she found him way more than semi-tolerable. 

“A semi-tolerable coworker in a perfectly acceptable costume.” She gestured to him again. He was in black pants, a black shirt, and a leather jacket. “What are you, yourself?” 

She teased him. He had worn a similar ensemble to Dorian’s and she wondered for a moment if he had even dressed up at all. 

“Ha ha, Spellman.” He spun in a quick circle which drew a laugh from her. The sound of it made him smile brighter. “Actually I’m Danny Zuko.” 

“From Grease?” She couldn’t hide the giggle that fell from her lips. She did that a lot, smiled and laughed around him. It had made work a lot better lately. Laughing with him was a lot easier than hating him. Not that she ever actually hated him, really. “You don’t really seem like the musical type.” 

“Don’t mock, Spellman.” Nick said as he bit his lip considering something. He decided to share a little piece of himself with her. “It was my best friend’s favorite growing up. She made me watch it like a million times.” Sabrina tilted her head to the side and before she could comment on him using the word  _ was,  _ he added something else he hoped would grab her attention more. She thought he looked a little sad but didn’t acknowledge it, too distracted by what he would say next. “Also I did musicals in high school.” 

“You did not.” Sabrina said, laughing again. “You did musicals?” 

“I did.” He nodded proudly. “And if you tell anyone in the office I’ll deny it and then never speak to you again.”

“Don’t tempt me.” She narrowed her eyes and teased him right back. They were quiet then, and she realized that to another person the closeness in which they were standing and the smiles on her face could be observed as flirting. And she was  _ definitely _ not flirting with Nicholas Scratch. Not when she had a boyfriend who would be there any moment. She cleared her throat, breaking whatever moment they were having. 

“Anyways, there’s food and drinks and plenty of people to talk to.” Sabrina began to say and Nick noted she was trying to take her leave, obviously affected by their teasing. 

“Great. Thanks, Spellman.” He smiled softly and then held up a tiny bag she hadn’t realized he was holding. “But first, for you.” 

Her eyes widened at the gesture. It was a small bag, no bigger than a softball, and had obviously been wrapped by him. She was pretty sure it was paper towels and not tissue paper that stuck out the top but it was still the thought that counted. 

“Nick, you didn’t have to.” 

“I’ve heard the rule is, no gift no goody bag, and I want one.” She rolled her eyes at him but didn’t respond, focused on pulling her gift out of the bag. Nick wasn’t nervous, but he hadn’t bought anyone a gift in a long time. He realized that the gift went well with her costume, and her smile when she held it in her hand told him he’d picked a good one. 

It was a round, metal mug that was orange and speckled. In black cursive it read “I put a spell on you” and was big enough to fit a Sabrina Spellman amount of coffee.

“I love it. Thank you, Nick.” 

“You’re welcome, Spellman. You look fantastic by the way.” He winked at her and the tension between them built again. She felt her cheeks flush and hoped that the dark sky hid them well enough. But the way he was eyeing her, as if she were the one lighting up the night and not the moon, told her otherwise. After an awkward beat a car door slamming disrupted her thoughts. She saw Harvey hop out of his truck over Nick’s shoulder.

“Harvey’s here.” She said and shrugged. “I should…”

“Go.” Nick finished for her. “I’ll be around.”

She touched his arm once in thanks as she passed him. He peeked over his shoulder to see her kiss her boyfriend in greeting, grumbling to himself about why it bothered him. 

-

“So you met the boyfriend.” Ambrose said to Nick as he threw himself on the log bench next to Nick. Ambrose slumped his arm around Nick’s shoulder and Nick thought he might be drunk from the way he could smell bourbon from the moment he sat down.

“Actually I haven’t.” Nick shrugged. “She seems to be keeping him away from me.”

“It’s because you make her nervous.” Ambrose spilled out. Nick didn’t put much stock into what Ambrose was saying in the moment, considering his state. “And because you’re so good looking.”

“Well she doesn’t have to worry about me stealing her boyfriend. He’s not my type.” Nick teased, trying to keep the conversation from going somewhere dangerous. It seemed Ambrose was taking it there anyways.

“He’s not her type either.” He said with a slight slur and then tapped Nick’s nose with his finger with a smug smile. “You on the other hand are exactly what she needs. And she knows it. Hence the bad attitude around you and the keeping Harvey away.” 

“I think it has more to do with the fact that we've barely just met and she was worried about me taking her job.” Nick explained, though he didn’t think he’d do any convincing of Ambrose tonight. He wasn’t even sure he could convince himself. 

He and Sabrina had only known each other a few months and their conversations hadn’t steered passed work, music, or books. But Nick found that he wouldn’t mind if they waded a little deeper. He even thought he might not drown this time. 

“Whatever.” Ambrose waved him off. “It’s time to meet the man you’re up against.”

Nick straightened at that, and despite all his shameless flirting he didn’t want Sabrina to be upset. And he thought that telling this Harvey Kinkle there was a battle for his girlfriend’s heart, when there definitely wasn’t, would end up hurting her. And destroy any friendship they had created so far.

“No one is up against anyone.” Nick tried to tell him as Ambrose began calling for Harvey to come over. 

“You got that right. Harvey hardly ever sleeps over anymore. He was here the other day for the first time in weeks.” He giggled to himself as he told Nick. Nick took a deep breath preparing himself to meet Sabrina’s boyfriend with a drunk Ambrose as he walked over awkwardly.

“Yes Ambrose?” Harvey asked as he shoved his hands deep in his pockets. It was a gesture Nick did often too when he felt at ease. But when Harvey did it, it was like he was trying to dig himself a hole so he could escape the conversation.

“I want you to meet someone.” He made a show of waving his hands in Nick’s direction. Nick thought Harvey would have been unfazed, after dating Sabrina for so long, but the guy looked just as nervous as he likely did at sixteen. “This is Nicholas Scratch. Sabrina’s new coworker.” 

“Nice to meet you.” Harvey stuck out a hand in an effort to be polite. 

“You too.” Nick analyzed the guy, utilizing his ability to read people right away. Harvey seemed nice, decent, and generally like a good guy. He could see the appeal that a sixteen year Sabrina might be drawn to. He didn’t seem like the type to hurt her and he supposed some may find the awkward lankiness to be endearing. But he didn’t see how the Sabrina Spellman now could ever be satisfied by the guy standing in front of him. Nick couldn’t help but give him just a little shit. “Harry right?”

“Harvey.” He corrected without a hint of malice, likely thinking the name misuse was a genuine accident. Nick caught Ambrose’s face. Even in his drunk state he knew it wasn’t. “Sabrina’s mentioned you. She said you’re a good coworker.”

It was then that the birthday girl herself popped up next to Harvey. She had seen him walk over to where Nick and Ambrose were seated by the bonfire. Knowing that could lead to disaster, she made her way over to them immediately. Nick’s eyes were examining her boyfriend in the way he looks at a client file, determining if they’re even worth his time or if it was one Melvin could handle. She could see the wheels turning in Nick’s head as he decided whether Harvey was  worthy  and Ambrose was drunk. So that was enough to excuse herself from her conversation with Roz and intervene. 

“What’s going on over here?” Sabrina asked. Harvey pulled her into his side right away and Nick couldn’t help but notice how wrong it looked. Harvey was tall, too tall for Sabrina, and they looked mismatched. Sabrina leaned into him but looked uncomfortable, obviously displeased the three men were chatting.

“Your boyfriend here was just telling me how much of a good coworker I am.” Nick smirked at her before continuing. “That’s a step up from semi-tolerable.”

“I believe I’ve already apologized for judging you too harshly.” 

“And talked about me to the boyfriend. I’m flattered, Spellman.” He placed his hand over his heart as she rolled her eyes. But he caught the small smile that twinged on her lips. As if suddenly realizing they weren’t alone, Nick turned back to Harvey. “So what do you do, Harvey?” 

Sabrina was certain she had mentioned her boyfriend's occupation to Nick, but figured he forgot. It clicked for her in that moment that she did not talk about him much. 

“I uh, work down in the mines.” He said while scratching his head and averting his eyes.

“In the  _ Kinkle _ mines. His family owns them.” Sabrina added snuggling closer to him. When Harvey gave her an odd look she continued. “It’s important to note.”

“Family business. Nice.” Nick added sincerely and caught Sabrina’s eye for a moment. She looked away, worried Nick would see the sadness in them when thinking about her own family business. “Sit down guys there’s plenty of room.” 

“Yeah, pick a log and take a sit!” Ambrose added with a fake smile.

Sabrina made to move but Harvey stayed put.

“I actually have to go.” He told her apologetically. 

“What?” Sabrina didn’t try and hide her disappointment. “But you haven’t been here that long. And it’s my birthday.”

“I know, ‘Brina, I’m sorry.” He really was sorry. Nick didn’t look at either of them. He didn’t want to see Sabrina sad and he didn’t want to punch Harvey Kinkle. “Mr. Jenkins called out tonight and we need someone to do the night shift.”

“And it has to be you?” She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows at him. 

“Tommy did the last one.” He shoved his hands in his pockets again. “We’ll celebrate another time. Away from all this...partying.” Harvey added by way of reminding her parties weren’t really his thing. He’d always come, because she loved them and loved dressing up. It was then Nick noticed Harvey wasn’t wearing a costume. Or maybe he was but he figured flannel and a layer of dirt was a standard outfit for Harvey Kinkle. “I’m sorry.” 

“It’s fine.” Sabrina said as she pressed her lips together. It was not fine. Nick could tell that much by the furrows in her forehead. She got the same look whenever he pissed her off and told her everything was okay. “I’ll walk you to your truck.”

“It was nice meeting you, Nick.” 

“Yep. Bye, Harry.” Sabrina glared at him but didn’t bother correcting. Harvey didn’t either, realizing that this new coworker of Sabrina’s was on her side. And he didn’t need anyone else getting angry at him, even the new guy he barely knew. 

Nick and Ambrose sat in silence for a while, before Ambrose wandered away while mumbling something about Prudence. Nick stared at the fire, content to sit alone, and kept sipping on a glass of bourbon that Ambrose had pulled out for him. It was a good batch, and it made sense that Ambrose hadn’t put it out on the drink table. It was only his second glass, and he didn’t plan on having another. That was until Sabrina came and sat on the other side of him, grabbed his glass from his hands and sucked the rest of it down.

“Did you want some?” Nick asked as she wiped her lips. She didn’t flinch when she drank it, something that made her that much more attractive to him. Her eyes went wide then and she covered her mouth as she let out a laugh, surprising herself at what she’d done. 

“Oh my God. I don’t know why I just did that.” He chuckled at her. “I don’t usually drink from the same glass as people I don’t really know.”

“Hey I’m happy to share. And I think you know me. I’m the semi-tolerable good coworker, remember?” Sabrina laughed again and even though it lit up her face slightly, Nick could still see the sadness there. “I’m sorry about the boyfriend.” 

She looked over at him, shocked that he’d mention it, and then shrugged. 

“It’s fine I guess. He’s busy at the mines and the 25th birthday isn’t really a big deal.” 

“Is it to you?” He nudged her shoulder with his own as he asked. She bit her lip for a moment while looking down.

“It is.” She responded and didn’t meet his eyes. Nick looked to his left and spied the bottle of bourbon Ambrose must have left behind. Wordlessly he grabbed it and filled his glass with a heavy pour and handed it back to her. She smiled at him and took it, allowing the drink to burn away some of her hurt. After a minute she turned to Nick and offered him a sip too. He took one and just sat with her, knowing that if she wanted to share she would. 

“It’s just…”. She paused to find the words, realizing she did want to share, and she had this feeling that Nick would understand. “I like to celebrate my birthday not for me, but for my parents.” 

She was off then, telling him more about why this day was so special to her. Her parents had been taken from her way too soon, she had only had one birthday with them. So on October 31st every year she drew on the fleeting connection she had to them. She liked to imagine their joyful faces the day she was born. Her mother tired, her father doting around her and making sure she had everything she needed. Edward and Diana Spellman had died a few short weeks after her first birthday in a terrible plane crash. She’d only gotten one birthday with them, but she’d have many others with the rest of her family and friends. She didn’t want to waste it. 

“You want to feel close to them.” Nick responded to her when she finished explaining. He didn’t tell her he felt sorry for her. He’d gotten those words thrown at him over the last few years and he knew that it didn’t help in the least. He needed someone to validate that what happened was shitty and leave it at that. Sabrina turned to him and gave a small smile, her eyes encouraging him to share too. The brown orbs told him that she was safe, and despite only knowing her for a few months, he believed it. 

He wouldn’t tell her everything, but he figured explaining he shared some understanding was a start. 

“I lost my parents my senior year of high school. They were away on business for my dad’s work. My mom liked to go with him.” 

“Mine did too.” Sabrina smiled at him, and then gave an apologetic look for cutting him off. She nodded her head so he could keep going. 

“The hotel they were at in Chicago caught fire.” He didn’t need to say anything else, she got the idea. His parents hadn’t come home from Chicago, just like hers had never landed in Atlanta. 

“Where did you go after?” She asked him curiously. She had moved in with her aunts, but Nick hadn’t mentioned any family at all. 

“I was already eighteen, so no one I guess? They left everything to me so I just stayed in the apartment by myself.”

He expected her to pity him then, as many did when they heard his story. Not that he shared it that often. But she didn’t she just reached over and poured more bourbon in the glass and handed it to him. When he took a sip and handed it back to her, she raised it in the air. After the liquid burned down her throat she turned her gaze back to him and made sure he could hear her as he spoke.

“Dead parents fucking suck.” Her use of language didn’t faze him. He thought it was rather appropriate. He took the glass from her and lifted it once. 

“Here, here.” He winked at her and she laughed, filling the small space between them with warmth. Warmth that had been stolen by conversations about tragic accidents and boyfriends who left their girlfriend's party.

They stayed there by the fire for a while talking, even as party members began to file out. They’d come by once and a while to say goodbye but Sabrina didn’t move from her spot next to Nick on the log. He’d add more wood to the fire as she spoke of her study abroad trips and they argued about the best bodegas and coffee shops in New York. 

Sabrina was finding as the time was going by that he was easy to talk to, and his ears were just as open and eager to have her attention as his eyes were. The words came naturally, pouring out of her like a smooth red wine, and the way he looked at her made her feel like she was his favorite bottle. The glass of bourbon passed between them back and forth as they shared more. The conversations shifted from serious to playful, family to work, the crackle of the fire and their solitude adding to the intensity of the conversation and strengthening the bond that was forming. 

“I don’t get why you put up with her, Spellman. I mean it’s clear you’re the best at your job, so why stay?” Nick asked her when she brought up a recent reprimanding from their boss. 

“The company.” She explained and suddenly it all made sense to him. “Technically my dad left it to me, but I was a baby when he died. It’s supposed to be mine but Lilith took it, and she’s making sure I never get it back.” 

“And you’re trying to get it back.” He finished for her, the strength in her gaze telling him he’s right. It was burning with more heat than the fire, despite that they’d kept it going all night.

“Well, making sure she doesn’t run it into the ground. But yes, eventually I want to take it back.”

“I’ll help you.” He stated it not as a question, but as an absolute truth. He knew Sabrina loved her father’s company, and if anyone deserved to run it it’s her. She wanted that connection to her father, just like the one she felt on her birthday. 

“Nick, no.” Sabrina told him, shaking her head. She didn’t want him involved in her mess. Sabrina had learned over the years that Lilith would never fire her. Nick didn’t have the same protections. “You don’t need to get wrapped up in this.”

“The company should be yours, Spellman. Lilith may have changed its name, but it belongs to you. I don’t know what I can do, but I can try.”

“Honestly there’s nothing to do right now but wait. There’s some stipulation in place that says the company’s mine at some determined time or something.” She shrugged hopelessly. “I’ve never seen the papers. She won’t let me.” 

“We’ll figure it out.” He told her, not accepting her insistence that he shouldn’t help and nudging her shoulder again. “I’d like to think we’ve moved past semi-tolerable coworkers to sort of friends.” She laughed and he felt proud that he could draw the sound from her again. “And friends help their friends get their company back.”

“We are friends, Nick.” She responded to him and bit her lip to hide her smile as she nudged his shoulder back. “Even though I may have been incredibly rude to you at first.”

“What was that about anyways?” He asked her.

“Jealousy? Nerves that you’d be better than me?” She shrugged.

“Impossible.” He told her and she rolled her eyes at him again, but felt that he meant it.

“I don't know…”. She shrugged and focused on the fire. “I think it was because I really didn’t have a reason to hate you that I hated you so much. You were all charm and good ideas. It was annoying.”

“You think I’m charming?” Nick teased her and wagged his eyebrows. 

“Ignoring that.” She turned to him then and asked the question that had been on her mind, one that he never answered. “Why my dad’s company? Why Greendale? There’s a story there I know it.”

“Spellman, your father was the best in the business. And he did it all from this tiny town. I wanted to be a part of it.”

She looked at him in the eyes again. The sky was dark and filled with stars but she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. The fire had begun to die and they’d run out of wood to keep it up. Ambrose was hooting and hollering somewhere but again, her eyes remained on him. His words had touched her somewhere deep and while that was part of the reason he left New York. She was certain there was more.

“Okay.” She smiled softly at him. But then because she’d never just give in, she kept going. “And since we're friends, whenever you’re ready to tell me the rest of that story I’m here to listen.” 

He had to look away for a moment, not having experienced as genuine of a person as Sabrina in so long. When he pulled himself together he smirked back at her.

“And when you’re ready to bring the Calvary to Lilith’s door I’m there by your side.”

It was her turn to look away, Nick’s midnight eyes too much for her right then. Harvey had never once offered to help her with the company. She’s not even sure he understands what she does. She was about to say something else to Nick when Roz came over hurriedly.

“‘Brina, your cousin is about to start a conga line.” Sabrina raised her eyebrows. That certainly didn’t feel as urgent as Roz was making it seem. “A naked conga line.” 

“Shit, Ambrose.” Sabrina said as she stood and slapped her lap. “Wanna help me get him upstairs, friend?” She asked Nick, knowing she couldn’t bear Ambrose’s weight alone.

“Certainly, friend.” Nick responded and followed her to gather the sole male Spellman.

Roz looked on with curiosity, but was distracted by the triple decker s’mores Theo was making, choosing to question Sabrina’s friendship with her “asshole coworker” another day.

Eventually when Nick left, after helping to stack chairs and bring dishes to the kitchen, he felt happier than when he had left his place. Nick thought that maybe someday, Sabrina could be someone he opened up to. He was glad they were acknowledged friends. And while he wanted to kiss her and see what tonight’s expensive bourbon tasted like on her lips, he wouldn’t. She was in a relationship. And even if she wasn’t, he didn’t do those anyways. But a friendship, a friendship he could do. 

Sabrina thought about him that night too, finally deciding she had misjudged him. He was a little like her, adventurous and passionate, and had the same sense of emptiness that came with losing your parents. The way he had jumped at the chance to help her with the company shocked her. Surely he had to know he could get fired. She decided then she wouldn’t let him get too involved. He decided then he would. He’d do whatever it took to get the beautiful Sabrina Spellman the company that belonged to her.

He was her semi-tolerable coworker after all. 

-

Ambrose woke with a groan and found his cousin sitting in his desk chair and handing him a cup of coffee. He didn’t remember how he got up there, but distinctly remembered trying to get Prudence to join him. She’d obviously declined. 

“Good morning, sunshine.” Sabrina said too loudly for Ambrose’s taste.

“What the hell happened last night.” He asked, taking a sip of his coffee and rubbing his temple.

“You got drunk and tried to start a naked conga line. Prudence was especially unimpressed. Then Nick helped me get you upstairs where you passed out.”

“Nicholas helped you?” He racked his brain and then remembers, snapping his fingers. “Right cause Harvey ditched you on your birthday and you spent the night cozy by the fire with Nick.”

“I was not  _ cozy  _ by the fire with Nick. We just happened to hang out and share some bourbon. Your bourbon by the way, it was delicious.”

“Consider it your birthday present.” He grumbled and then grinned. “Do you like Nicholas?”

“What are you nine?” She scoffed. “I don’t like Nicholas, I love Harvey. Nick and I are friends. Honestly it’s gonna be nice to have someone at the office to talk to.”

“Right. Talk.”

“I’m going.” Sabrina said as she stood up, fed up with her cousin's insinuations. “I’m meeting Harvey for breakfast.”

“He better do something real good to make up for it.” Ambrose warned. “I can’t believe-”

“Don’t.” She held out a finger. “Don’t even start. He apologized and I plan on forgiving him. I love him, remember?”

“Oh I remember, I just don’t remember why.”

“You wouldn’t understand.” She waved him off before finally moving to his door. “Now I’m gonna go, don’t die from your hangover.”

She didn’t even try to decipher Ambrose’s last minute mumbling as she descended from the attic. She was excited, she told herself, to meet Harvey at Cee’s. She ignored the questions in her head that asked her what they would even talk about. The conversations she had with Nick last night had flowed so naturally, and she craved that with her long-term boyfriend. 

She pushed the thoughts deep down as she hugged Harvey hello and his goofy smile didn’t quite hit the same as Nick’s smirk had the night before. 

She didn’t ask why.

She couldn’t, as she wouldn’t like the answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they're friends! Nick and Sabrina are opening up more and sharing with each other.   
> Lilith stole the company from Sabrina!   
> And what is Nick hiding??  
> More to come and maybe getting EVEN closer next time?... ;)
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5: jingle bells and june air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a bit of a time jump after the Christmas party, just to move things along...

jingle bells and june air 

* * *

Sabrina slipped on her favorite black heels and put the finishing touches on her hair. She had added a few extra curls, feeling it was appropriate for the office Christmas party. After setting her signature headband in its place she was began to put on her red lipstick when her cousin’s voice broke her concentration. 

“Cousin.” He drawled out and the sudden appearance of Ambrose caused her to jump, leaving a crimson streak above to her lip.

“Damnit, Ambrose!” She chided and let out a dramatic sigh as she reached for one of her makeup wipes. When she wiped off the runaway lipstick, some of her foundation came along for the ride. “Great. Now I have to touch all of it up.” 

“Why are you so jumpy?” Ambrose asked her as he leaned in the doorway, not caring that he had just added about ten more minutes to her getting ready time. 

“I’m not jumpy, I was just concentrating and you scared me.”

“Mmhmm.” Ambrose agreed but the tone was one of disbelief. He came into her room further and sat on her bed, making eye contact with her in her vanity mirror. Sabrina narrowed her eyes at hime suspiciously. “Also, why do you care so much about what you look like? You’ve never dressed up this much for the office party.”

“And you do. Every year.” She turned over her shoulder and gestured to Ambrose’s choice of ensemble this Christmas. He was in a silky, maroon colored suit, with deep V and a paisley ascot. 

Sabrina and her family had been going to the office Christmas Party for years. After all, the company did once belong to Edward Spellman. Hilda had always cooked for it, and that tradition didn’t die when Edward did. Zelda organized the bar and back when Sabrina was younger she and Ambrose would cut out paper snowflakes and they’d somehow always end up as decorations. 

The party was a classier affair these days, Lilith eventually trading out paper snowflakes for ice sculptures and steadily relieving the Spellmans of their duties. Hilda had nearly thrown a fit when Lilith told her she was hiring a caterer a few years back. And the Spellmans had avoided the party for a few years in response. Sabrina and Ambrose were off and in college at that point so it wasn’t like they had a huge reason to go. But when Sabrina started at the company and Ambrose had started his  _ friendship _ with Prudence, they made their way back. Hilda would kill Lilith with kindness. Zelda would just kill her if given the chance. 

“Don’t mock my style, cousin.” Ambrose told her as he leaned forward on his elbows and grabbed his ascot. “This is from Paris.” 

“Okay.” Sabrina shrugged, knowing that her cousin’s eccentricity wouldn’t stop just because she teased him. In fact, it was one of her favorite things about him. She stood up then after finally fixing the mistake Ambrose had caused her and Ambrose stood up too, throwing up the “okay” sign with his hand and smirking.

“Wow, cousin, you look fantastic.” Sabrina smiled to herself, proud of the way she looked in her small red dress. It was a bit sparkly, perfect for the holiday season, and the slinky straps exposed more of her shoulders and neck than she usually did. Ambrose narrowed his eyes at her then. “Again I ask, why the done up look? Typically you wear a black skirt and a turtleneck to these things.”

“Lilith said she’s classing it up. Maybe I wanted to too.” 

“Or maybe,” Ambrose pressed his finger to his chin. “It’s because this is the first Christmas Party with Nicholas Scratch on staff.”

“Ambrose!” She yelled at him for what he was insinuating, but her cousin kept going and didn’t even try to hide his smug laughter.

“And you liked the way he eyed you at your birthday so you’re doing all you can to see it again.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Sabrina didn’t meet his eyes as she slammed her clutch shut and started down the stairs. “I did not dress up for Nicholas. I dressed up for me.” 

“Oh so not for Harvey?” Ambrose teased her as he followed her down the stairs, content to make her as red as her dress. Sabrina pressed her lips together when she realized she had been caught. If she was being honest, she had forgotten Harvey was coming tonight. And if she was being honest the first person she thought of when slipping on her dress wasn’t him. It was Nick. But she would never tell Ambrose his suspicions were right. 

“And for Harvey.” Sabrina lied as they finally made it to the foyer. Damn the mortuary and all of it’s stairs. “But he doesn’t care what I wear.”

“Oh I think he will tonight, cousin.” Ambrose slipped his hands in his pockets. “Especially when he sees the way Nicholas is bound to look at you.”

“Nicholas doesn’t look at me in any way, Ambrose.”

“So there’s no attraction there?” Ambrose raised his eyebrows at her, daring her to deny it. But she had never been good about hiding her emotions from him. She could wear a mask all day and fool the Aunties, but Ambrose always saw through it. Before Sabrina could deny it he kept digging his heels in. “Because from what I saw, you two were about one glass of bourbon away from ripping each other’s clothes off.” 

Sabrina dug down deep into her wellspring of excuses. There was an attraction there, she couldn’t deny it. He was handsome and charming and well-read. He could always make her smile, no matter what was going on. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t curious about him. She felt drawn to him in a way she hadn’t with anyone else, and it seemed like he felt the same, always finding her in the crowded office or streets of Greendale. But there was a glaring stop sign that went by the name of Harvey Kinkle. Her boyfriend, who she loved and was kind and sweet and while he had been dropping the ball a bit lately, had been determined to do better. So much better, that he agreed to come to her holiday party for the first time ever. She couldn’t throw that much history away for an attraction. For curiosity. The line in the sand was drawn between her and Nick. They were friends, and that was it. 

“We’re friends, Ambrose.” Sabrina spoke in a tone that meant business.

“Tell me, what would you do if the two of you found yourselves under a mistletoe?” Sabrina narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you think would happen if you kissed? If all this pent up sexual tension were released.” 

“First of all? Don’t you even think about trying anything.” Sabrina poked him in the chest. “And second of all? There is no sexual tension, and if Nick and I had to kiss for any reason ever we’d be fine. Because we’re friends and friends can get over that kind of stuff.”

“Whatever you say, cuz.” Ambrose clapped his hands together and tapped Sabrina’s nose. She swatted his hand away and was about to say something that would get her on the naughty list when the doorbell rang. Hilda appeared almost out of nowhere with a tray of cookies. Lilith may have told her she wasn’t cooking the food, but nothing would stop Hilda Spellman from baking. 

“That must be sweet Harvey. Get the door would one of ya?” She said and then disappeared back into the kitchen. Ambrose moved but Sabrina grabbed him by his jacket and pulled him back.

“I’ll get it.” She glared at him. “It’s my boyfriend after all.” 

Ambrose shook his head at his cousin’s theatrics and determination to lie to herself. She may not see it, but he did clear as day. There was something there between her and Nicholas Scratch, something that she was lacking with her high school boyfriend she was currently kissing in the doorway. He didn’t usually look when they did that, but in that moment he couldn’t help but see how lackluster it looked. Harvey’s hands were barely touching her and didn’t move from Sabrina’s waist and she made no attempt to deepen it. Before he could vomit or fall asleep he headed into the kitchen to see if Hilda needed help with the cookies, leaving Sabrina alone with her mediocre boyfriend who probably hadn’t even commented on how beautiful she looked. 

-

Sabrina rode over to the office with Harvey after convincing him he wouldn’t want to sit in the car with her Aunt Zelda. Every year Zelda gave the same speech about how Lilith is essentially Satan’s mistress who tried to sink her claws into Edward. When that didn’t work she went after the company instead and Zelda was still confused as to how it fell to Lilith and not her or her sister. Sabrina could recite the speech word for word and would rather spend some alone time with Harvey before the craziness of the party began. She thought it might do some good and might get rid of some of the thoughts she’d been having about a certain dark-haired coworker. 

“Thanks for coming with me tonight, Harvey.” Sabrina said as she turned to smile at him. He smiled back, giving her his own signature Harvey Kinkle smile. Harvey’s dopey golden-retriever smile had always made her swoon in high school. The first time she had realized she loved him she was twelve years old, when she discovered that that particular smile was one he really only shared with her. The smile didn’t quite make her weak at the knees now, but the memory of it still brought her comfort. She didn’t feel set on fire, but she felt warm. Content. She knew that goofy smile would be sent her way every day for the rest of her life if she wanted. She thought she might want it. 

“Of course, Brina. I know I’ve been flaky lately. I wanted to come with you tonight.” He grabbed her hand then and kissed the back of it. His lips were just as rough as his hands, something she’d taken notice of when he had kissed her back at the mortuary. But the gesture was nice and he didn’t let go of her hand the rest of the way there. As if on autopilot and not really thinking about it, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. It was another thing she’d done for eight years, it came as easily to her as walking. She didn’t know if that was a good thing, and she didn’t dare think about it for too long.

When they arrived Harvey rushed over to open her door and shoved his hands in his pockets, either out of nerves or because it was so cold. Sabrina’s hand ached to be held, but she didn’t reach for his. 

“So will I know anyone here?” Harvey asked her nervously.

“Well my family.” Sabrina teased him a little and he chuckled. Sabrina told herself that yes, they could be playful. “But you know the people I work with, Harvey. You went to high school with a lot of them.”

“Right.” Harvey remembered and scratched his forehead, his nerves on full display. 

“Prudence will be here, but she’s a lot nicer now. Well, less terrible I guess.” Harvey chuckled again. “You know Melvin and Elspeth.” Sabrina paused for a moment and bit her lip. Harvey didn’t think anything of it, but if Ambrose had seen her he would have. “And Nick. You met him at my party?” 

“Oh yeah, the Scratch guy.” Harvey nodded his head. Sabrina was nervous about Nick and Harvey interacting. She wanted Nick to like her boyfriend, give some nod to approval. She also wanted Harvey to like Nick. Harvey held open the door for her and Sabrina finally grabbed his hand. Greendale was a small town, and most people in the room would already know him and know they were dating. But she still wanted him to hold her hand just the same. She wanted Nick to see to remind both of them that she was taken. “He’s cool.” 

Nick had increasingly become an important person in her life. After her birthday when they had both opened up to each other, she felt that their connection had built. She didn’t dread sharing her office with him anymore and genuinely enjoyed his company when they took lunch over at Cee’s. He could easily read her, and had shown up with peppermint tea just the other day after a difficult morning. He seemed to get her, and they were real friends. And Sabrina wanted her boyfriend and real friend to get along. 

She thought that was an actual possibility after Nick had been nothing but polite to Harvey at her birthday party. He had made some comments here and there in the days that followed about him leaving early and standing her up at Dorian’s. But for the most part, Nick had kept his thoughts to himself. He didn’t want his opinion of Harvey getting in the way of their friendship. Not when he had made so much progress with her and he had become someone she trusted, and she’d become someone he could trust too. 

When they made it to the party Sabrina was surprised to see how intricate it was. Gone was the plain office atmosphere she saw day to day. It had been transformed, with twinkling lights lining the ceiling and delicate glass snowflakes hanging down on clear string. They were much more beautiful than the paper ones she’d made as a child. 

There was a real Douglas Fir every few feet, some decorated to represent the company’s clients, some just color themed. She grimaced to herself remembering how she had made that suggestion to Lilith when her boss had told her some clients were coming to the party. Lilith had brushed her off but it seemed she had taken the idea anyways. 

The party was in full swing and Ambrose had gone straight for Prudence and the cranberry punch, which he had spiked of course. Sabrina mingled with the guests and introduced Harvey to people he didn’t know. They were engaging in a pleasant, although slightly boring, conversation with Melvin and Elspeth when she noticed a change in the room that only she seemed to feel. 

Nicholas Scratch arrived in dark pants and a maroon sweater, his hair perfectly tousled as if he had truly just woke up like that. Yet somehow it worked for him, and she felt her breath catch in her throat. His eyes met hers immediately and the smile he sent her created a feeling in her stomach that she actually couldn’t name. She hadn’t felt it before and it made her feel like she was unsteady on her feet, despite not swaying at all. His gaze didn’t stray from her as he made a beeline to her direction, even as people tried to stop him to talk. 

He subtlety looked her up and down from head to toe as he approached her and gave himself a chance to appreciate her beauty. She looked mismatched next to Harvey again, who was wearing dark jeans and what he probably considered a “nice flannel.” His arm was around her waist but it held slack. If it were Nick’s arm, he’d pull her tight to his side so she was flush with him. Not in a territorial way, but so he could hear her breathing and be comforted by her perfume. 

Sabrina caught him staring and prepared herself to pull it together as he neared their group. She scooted closer to Harvey and was thankful when he tightened his grip ever so slightly. If Nick noticed her nervousness, he didn’t show it. Instead he commanded the room like he always did and continued to be his effortlessly charming self. 

“Merry Christmas, everyone.” Nick nodded at the group when he joined them. He finally tore his gaze from Sabrina to smile and nod at Melvin and Elspeth. “Harvey.” He said before turning back to Sabrina. “Spellman, you look lovely.” 

“Thank you, Nick. Merry Christmas.” She smiled at him and he offered a quick wink. She wondered what he was doing for Christmas, and made a mental note to ask him later. He mentioned his parents had died and didn’t talk about any other family. He spoke of a best friend, but used past tense words like “was.” She had picked up on it when he’d said it, but he’d switched topics too quickly for her to bring it up. 

Harvey fell into simple conversation with Melvin and Elspeth. They were talking about some new marvel movie she knew nothing about, and absentmindedly went to take a sip of her champagne. When she found it was empty Nick chucked at her small pout. It was then that she looked up to meet his eyes and found he was still watching her.

“Let’s go refill that drink.” He told her and Sabrina untangled herself from Harvey’s side with a quick explanation as to where she was going. He nodded her along, his attention fully stolen by Melvin’s theory about Loki.

When they walked to the drink table, Nick instinctively placed his hand on the small of her back. The jolt of tension it produced made Sabrina stiffen, and Nick dropped his hand. They didn’t say anything as they poured their drinks and it wasn’t until Nick added some Chambord to her champagne and she gave him a puzzled look that he spoke again.

“It’s good. Trust me.” He told her and nodded at her flute so she’d take a sip. She raised her eyebrows but decided at that moment she would trust him. And it’s a good thing she did, because then she’d never have experienced the deliciousness of Raspberry in her Prosecco. Her amazed smile and bright eyes made him feel bold. “You really do look beautiful, Sabrina.” 

She couldn’t help but blush. She knew he meant it, only calling her Sabrina when he was serious about something. He had commented on her appearance and that meant something to her. She wasn’t the type of girl who needed a man to tell her she was pretty and preferred to be complimented for her brain, but it still felt nice. And there was something about Nick’s eyes finding her beautiful. Even though Harvey hadn’t commented, if he had she wasn’t sure it’d have the same effect. 

Sabrina thought it might be because Nick was from the city, and he had plenty of girls to find beautiful. Harvey had always been around her. Maybe her looks didn’t affect him anymore. But what Sabrina really thought, and chose to ignore, was that it meant so much to her not because it was Nick from the big city who thought so. But because it was  _ Nick _ .

“You don’t look half bad yourself.” She said back to him as she lifted her drink to clank with his. She noticed his collar was a little off kilter and before she could realize what her hand was doing it was fixing it for him. Her dark nails grazed his neck, and it sent chills through his body that moved slowly, as if her effect on him was taking its time to make its way through his body. 

A bout of laughter broke their moment again and Sabrina scrunched her nose when she saw Harvey had been the direction it came from. She didn’t understand the hype of the Marvel movies. But Harvey loved them.

“Not a marvel fan?” Nick asked her while bumping her shoulder, noticing her expression.

“I’m more of a horror lover. Superheroes and the unnecessary worship of man aren’t really my style.”

“No they aren’t, are they?” He teased her and then went for it. “What kind of worship do you prefer?”

Her eyes went wide and she whipped her head in his direction. His eyes were whimsical and teasing. Sabrina was nearly speechless, she couldn’t believe he was flirting so blatantly. Well it was Nick, so she definitely believed it. 

“Nicholas!” She scolded and Nick couldn’t help but laugh. She blushed immediately and hoped Nick couldn’t tell that she was trying to hide that she hadn’t been worshipped in a long time.

“I’m just kidding, Spellman. I’m more interested in gore and ghosts myself.”

“Then you can come to the Paramount with me!” Sabrina stated, suddenly excited and blowing past his previous comments. “I always have to drag Harvey, and Roz and Theo are always busy. They have double features and half priced popcorn.”

“You tell me when and I’ll be there, Spellman.” 

“Good.” Sabrina nodded and smiled a close-lipped smile before sipping on her drink. 

They enjoyed the silence for a moment as Sabrina took another glance around the room. It really did look incredible and the twinkling lights and glitter reminded her of the parks in New York at Christmastime. She didn’t miss the city often, but she loved it during the Holidays. Skating in Central Park or the Rockefeller Center was one of her favorites and peppermint lattes from a small cafe down the street from her apartment were a must as soon as the air started to get its winter chill. She was a stickler and promptly switched from maple and cinnamon to peppermint or peppermint mocha, the day after Thanksgiving. Nick hadn’t known this and was met with a salty Sabrina when they returned after the holiday and he had her maple latte in hand. Sabrina had only been teasing him, but Nick took it too far and there was a new drink on her desk by lunch. Nick had outright refused to try this one, claiming that mint and coffee absolutely do not go together. But managed to convince him eventually. Her brown, doe eyes were quickly becoming the one thing he couldn’t resist. 

“What’s on your mind, Spellman?” He asked her as her big eyes settled in the shape of wistfulness. He wanted to know what she was thinking about, what memory had stolen her attention.

“I’m just thinking about Winter in New York.” Sabrina smiled a little bashfully, embarrassed that she’d been caught spacing out and that Nick had been staring at her. 

“Mmhmm.” Nick said as they moved over to a couch to sit. They were turned towards each other and Nick automatically placed his arm on the back of the couch. They were both comfortable with how close they were sitting. “The first snow is always my favorite. It’s like the city comes alive this time of year even more than normal.” 

“It’s so bright already, ya know? But add the Christmas lights and white snow. It's just...magical.”

“Greendale is pretty magical too, I’ve come to learn.” Nick paused and Sabrina turned even more of her attention towards him. “I’ve never been to a tree lighting ceremony in person. The one’s in the city were always too crowded and touristy. And I’ve also never been to one where my friend’s aunts are both cooking for it and running the damn thing.”

Sabrina laughed at that and bit her lip to keep from laughing harder. 

“It pays to know people.” 

Hilda and Zelda had their hands in basically everything in Greendale. Hilda would cook for anyone and Zelda threw parties like no one else in town. So when they took over Greendale’s Tree Lighting Ceremony years back, no one was shocked. Sabrina was shocked though when Nick had shown up, thermos of coffee in hand. Harvey hadn’t been able to make it but Roz and Theo were there, and Sabrina’s two friends had really hit it off with Nick. He hadn’t questioned or made comments about Theo, which was something Sabrina was always subconsciously worried about when a new friend met him. Nick was accepting immediately, his eyebrows didn’t rise in question and his tone of voice didn’t go up any octaves like some of Sabrina’s friends in the past. To Nick, Theo was just Theo. Period. Sabrina didn’t know if it was because he was raised in New York or because she was finding him to be just genuinely a good person. The more time she spent with him, she was thinking it was the latter. 

“I’m sorry Lilith stole your Christmas Tree idea.” Nick told her. She was shocked he remembered, really she was trying to remember if he was even around when she suggested it. She sipped her drink to hide her reddened cheeks for the millionth time that night. “It was a great idea and you should have gotten credit.” 

“Whatever, it’s fine.” Sabrina shrugged and Nick gave her a look that said it was okay if it was definitely  _ not fine. _ “It’s not the first idea she’s stolen. Won’t be the last.”

“Someday when the company’s yours that won’t happen.” 

“You sound so confident, Nick.” She told him. “I don’t know that I’ll get it back.”

He leaned close to her so she could focus on him. He was invading all her senses, her eyes not able to leave his face. She noticed how angular it was and spotted a freckle on the juncture of his neck. His knee was grazing hers just slightly and she could smell his cologne. She swore she could hear his heart beating, but then again, it may have been her own. 

“You’ll get it back.” He spoke with the confidence he carried in the boardroom or on the phone with clients. He was selling this to her and it was working, she almost believed him. He cleared his throat and leaned back again and Sabrina’s senses could go back to normal, no longer overwhelmed by him. She decided to change the subject.

“What are you doing for Christmas?” She asked him. “Going to New York?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Nick answered her with a small smile and Sabrina swore he looked sad, but was trying desperately to cover it up. When Nick realized Sabrina wanted him to continue and wasn’t going to drop it, he couldn’t deny her. “I, uh, don’t really have a lot of family worth seeing so...I’ll probably do what I always do. Order a pizza, watch Miracle on 34th Street and read a book.”

“Nick, you can’t be alone on Christmas.” She scooted closer to him. He didn’t see pity in her eyes. It was something else, but he didn’t know what. 

“I’ve been alone on Christmas for a long time, Spellman. I’m used to it.” He shrugged.

“You mentioned a friend on my birthday?” She tried. “What about them.” 

Nick looked sad again and bit his own lip to cover up the thought of Amalia. He didn’t want to go there. Not tonight, when Sabrina looked so beautiful under the lights of her favorite season at her father’s company drinking champagne. 

“No that’s uh,” He paused and cleared his throat as his voice started to crack. “That’s not an option.”

“Well then you have to come to the mortuary.” Sabrina stated firmly and sat up straight to prove her point. She noticed Nick faltering and wasn’t going to press about family or New York anymore. She had a feeling he’d open up to her eventually and the office party with their coworkers drunk singing Jingle Bells with Ambrose at the helm was not the right time. 

“That’s very kind, but I don’t want to intrude.” Nick attempted. Part of him wanted to celebrate Christmas with Sabrina. She had this infectious joy and endless fearlessness that he thought might rub off on him if he spent more time with her. He thought it maybe it already had. But the other part of him didn’t want her to see the side of him that came out during Christmas, when he was sad and reeling with guilt and missing his parents. He wasn’t quite ready for her to see the dark parts he’s not proud of.

“It won’t be an intrusion, Nick.” She tried to get him to understand. Sabrina was learning that Nick didn’t let people in. He had been letting her, little by little, but she wanted to be let in more. “Hilda cooks for an army so literally all I have to do is set an extra place at the table.” 

“I don’t think so, Spellman. Maybe next time.” 

“Sure, next time too. But  _ this _ time you don’t have to be alone on Christmas. You have a place to go, Nick.” She stared him down with intensity that was riddled with care. It reminded him of when he caught her comforting Elspeth those first few days after he showed up. Her passion was breaking through but amidst it all it never lost the empathy that covered anything she ever did. Like the thick layer of chocolate you’d dip a strawberry in. 

“I know.” Nick nodded and hoped she’d drop it. She did and sighed but not before saying one more thing.

“If you change your mind there’s a spot for you. I’m going to set it up whether or not you come.” 

“You’ll be wasting a plate.”

“Worth it.” She said and shrugged, winking at him once before sipping her drink. 

They sat in some more comfortable silence before the Aunts rushed past, stopping to say hello.

“Oh, Nicholas!” Hilda said sweetly. “Wonderful to see you again, love.” 

“You as well, Ms. Spellman. Your cookies are divine. And if you ask me, you should be cooking, not the caterers.” Hilda swooned and Sabrina rolled her eyes at Nick’s charm. She almost commented that he should see her Christmas Dinner if he really loved her cooking. But she refrained, knowing it’d make him uncomfortable and if the aunts found out he was flying solo for the holidays they’d probably kidnap him. Sabrina figured her Aunts forcing Nick to join them wouldn’t win her any points in the “get Nick to trust her” game. 

“I’m glad to see Sabrina keeping better company.” Zelda couldn’t help but say as she eyed the way her niece was turned towards Nick and sitting close. Sabrina hadn’t noticed how her body had automatically done that comfortably, Nick’s mirroring hers. At her comment Sabrina adjusted so that wasn’t the case and glared at her aunt. 

“I think whoever the company is, they’re the lucky ones.” Nick added which earned him another swoon from Hilda and a smirk from Zelda. Sabrina sent him a glare to which he just smiled in return. They talked to the Aunts for a while about the company and various clients. Nick steered the questions away from Christmas effortlessly because he knew Hilda and Zelda would insist he come to the Mortuary too. And he didn’t want to have that conversation again. Turning down one Spellman was enough, and Sabrina’s eager eyes and disappointed down-turned lips almost made him change his mind. 

The rest of the night went well and Harvey eventually found himself back at Sabrina’s side. Nick trickled over to hang out with Prudence and Ambrose, helping the former keep the latter from drinking too much. Ambrose’s ascot had disappeared and he had sent them both on a hunt for it that took nearly an hour. Sabrina kept catching Nick’s eye though across the room and they held their gaze for probably too long. It was piercing, the way he looked at her, and Sabrina would almost describe it as longing. She glued herself to Harvey to keep Nick’s eyes from affecting her any further. When it was time to leave, she waved to Nick goodbye and kicked herself the whole way home for not actually saying the words  _ goodbye _ to his face. She also kicked herself for feeling guilty about it. She didn't even notice that Harvey had his hand on her thigh the whole way home. 

Nick didn’t come for Christmas even though she set a place for him. He did send her a text to wish her a Merry Christmas, which made her smile and when invited him again, he declined, and ignored the sting of rejection that it brought out. 

Harvey came for Christmas Dinner and stayed the night. They kissed under the mistletoe and Sabrina ignored the looks from Ambrose, knowing he was likely thinking about her and Nick under the stupid plant. They opened each other’s presents. It wasn’t an engagement ring, she didn’t really expect it to be, but a bright red sweater. It was pretty but not very thoughtful, but she could add it to her collection and made a point to wear it the next day. He made love to her on Christmas Night in her teenage bed. It was good, textbook, but not great. Not that she’d even know what great was anymore. But he still held her afterwards and she still felt comfort there in his arms. She was just trying to figure out if the comfort was complacency or true companionship. She didn’t want to think about that now. Not on Christmas. But she also didn’t want to think about the other man who had been intruding her mind all day. And what kind of worship  _ he  _ preferred. 

* * *

Lilith had called them into her office first thing after the morning meeting. The summer air was beginning to linger outside anymore and though the day had just begun, Sabrina was itching for it to be over so she could head to Sweetwater River for her first summer dip. 

After Christmas Sabrina fell back into her normal routine with Harvey. They seemed to pull themselves out of whatever rut they were in and Sabrina solidified even more in her mind that Harvey was and always will be the one for her. Their nine year anniversary was coming up in September and Sabrina wondered if she’d finally get him to mention something about marriage, or even living together. She figured they were as good as committed now, after nine years. For Sabrina marriage meant they had made it. She could finally prove to everyone else, and herself, and especially Ambrose, that she and Harvey hadn’t failed. And Sabrina didn’t fail. 

It was June now and by the end of the summer Nick would have his one year anniversary with the company. Yet Sabrina felt like he had always been a presence in her life. She couldn’t explain it, but it was like he was steadfastly there and had been for way more than a year. For some reason Lilith still hadn’t found an office for him so he was sharing with her. Her coffee that they still alternated buying had switched from hot to iced as soon as she could tolerate being outside without a heavy coat, while he insisted he’d still drink his hot well into the summer. They’d been battling with the thermostat, Sabrina keeping the air off so she could open the windows and let the breeze in. Nick would close them and flip the air conditioning back on, used to New York Summers and the non-existent breeze being blocked by tall buildings. Neither were really annoyed by it and it had become some sort of game. One that Nick would probably give in to her because he couldn’t really say no to her. 

The mischievous look in her eyes when she stepped in Lilith’s office informed him that she had come in after him because she made a pit stop to turn off the AC and open the windows. He bit back a laugh and stared at his feet as Lilith took her time to put down her papers, right her glasses and fold her hands on her desk. 

“You both have done quite the job here at the company. I’ve heard nothing but good things from all of your clients.” It was a compliment, but Lilith rarely smiled so they weren’t sure what was coming next. “And Nicholas Scratch has been here nearly a year, so I figured it was time you two took on a project together.” 

A few months ago Sabrina would be running for the hills at the suggestion. But now, partnering with Nick for a client wouldn’t be awful. And for Nick, spending more time with Sabrina would be more than ideal. The long days at work and double features at the Paramount they found themselves at were simply not enough for him. 

“Okay, who’s the client?” Sabrina asked and Lilith eyed her, expecting some sort of pushback from the Spellman girl.

“Roy’s Coffee. They’re a cafe brand in New York that’s expanding even more.” Sabrina’s face lit up and she didn't notice Nick wince beside her. Roy’s had been the one chain she was willing to go to when she was in the city. Their cafes, though many, felt like hometown spots no matter which you went to. Sabrina gave a side glance to Nick who pouted at Sabrina’s smug look. He had been trying to convince Sabrina for months that another small chain, Crave, was much better. 

“We know Roy’s.” Sabrina said simply, trying to remain professional but excited to brag to Nick the second they were out of her office. “Right, Nick?”

“Definitely.” He plastered on a fake smile, knowing her bragging was coming. He stifled the rising dread too, knowing that working with Roy’s also meant confronting a whole host of memories he wasn’t quite ready to face. Yet it seemed the Universe was forcing his hand. 

“Excellent.” Lilith agreed and handed over a folder with information. “They expect a preliminary report by Monday. Their old marketer fell through and they want a promotion to start the Summer Season. This is a chance for us to gain another client in the city. Don’t screw it up.”

“Monday?” Sabrina asked. “Lilith, it’s _F_ _ riday.”  _

“Then I guess you’ll have a busy weekend. Good thing you like each other.” Lilith couldn’t help but poke. She stayed out of the office gossip, but even she had seen the change in the two over the course of Nicholas’ time there. They were quickly progressing in their relationship. “Now go get started.” She pointed to the door and the two huffed out annoyed. Sabrina because that meant her weekend dip at Sweetwater was ruined and Nick because he’d have to hear Sabrina tell him how right she was about Roy’s. She’d been right all along, Roy’s was just a place he vowed he’d never set foot in again. It seemed he would have to now.

-

Nick and Sabrina had been working all day Saturday to put the proposal together. Nick had been mainly focusing on the numbers as he figured focusing on those would drudge up the least memories. When he readily volunteered to do that part Sabrina eyed him suspiciously, searching for an ulterior motive. She knew Nick usually pushed the profit projections off to a lower level marketer to focus on the more creative aspects of the pitch. He shrugged her off, explaining this client was too important and the job needed to be done well. He didn’t trust anyone else. Sabrina hesitantly dropped it but eventually moved on because she herself didn’t want to do the numbers and if he did, well, she’d let him have it. 

She didn’t tease him as much as he’d originally thought she might, only bringing up Roy’s superiority to Crave a couple of times. He forced out a laugh and she wouldn’t push or question why he wasn’t bickering with her. But she noticed everything so when his smile didn’t quite reach her eyes or didn’t offer a flirty comeback she knew something was off. Just as he picked up on her subtle mood changes, she could tell when he wasn’t himself. And he wasn’t himself. She tried asking, but he told her he was tired and a little stressed about this pitch and when he offered to run out and get them food she insisted she go get it. She wanted to pick up something a little extra.

They had had the entire office to themselves all day as no one else work on a Summer Saturday, so they spread out in the boardroom and frequently went on barefoot walks around the office when needing a new idea. Nick was lying on the ground next to the copier when he heard the door open and close indicating Sabrina had returned. The sun was starting to set outside, but Nick knew they’d still be there for a while, so he was grateful when he say she was also carrying a jug of to-go coffee from Cee’s. 

“Cee got us everything we could possibly need.” Sabrina said setting down the food on the board room table as Nick made his way back there. “Burgers, french fries, onion rings, greek salad, chicken tenders, donuts, and Hilda even made a pie.” 

“Wow praise you and your connections.” Nick told her as he peeked in the paper bag. She smacked his hand playfully, she wasn’t done. 

“We have plenty of coffee, it’s not as good as Roy’s but don’t tell Cee I said that.” Nick laughed a little. She pretended to look around then, despite there not being anyone else there, as a sneaky look took over her face. She reached into her giant purse and pulled out a bottle of bailey’s. “And I figured we could use a little extra pick me up in this coffee.”

“Sabrina Spellman, did you bring alcohol to work?” He teased her and felt more at ease than he had all night. He sensed she knew something was up with him and the fact that she had picked up bailey’s and gotten him Greek Salad, she certainly didn’t like it, made his heart squeeze. 

“I figured we could use it. And Roy’s had this  _ delicious _ Irish Coffee Latte you could order and drink there. So I figured it was fitting.” 

“I’ve had it.” Nick said simply as he remembered flirting with the barista to make him two of them when he was seventeen. A wave of nausea washed over him as the image flooded his brain. He did not want to go there right now. Sabrina’s brow furrowed as she took in the sudden change in Nick. She noticed in great detail how his face scrunched in and looked like he was going to be sick. She was about to open her mouth to comment when he spoke first. “Should we eat?”

They ate through the food and Sabrina served them coffee with a heavy pour of Bailey’s. Nick tried to get her to try his Greek Salad again which ended with her throwing a fry at him and him reciprocating with an olive getting stuck in her hair. He reached over to pull it out and after a moment of charged silence they settled into working again. 

About another hour passed by of Sabrina suggesting ideas and bringing up different things about Roy’s she loved, from their pumpkin scones to their signature red couches. But Nick seemed disinterested and disengaged. She noticed the way his jaw would tense when she’d smile dreamily about the place, only for him to quickly change the subject to a topic that was drier. At one point he snapped at her over a suggestion regarding their summer flavors. She was taken aback, as he had never once yelled at her. Sure they bickered but it was always in a way to help get the other to see the truth or come to an even better conclusion. Sabrina admitted to herself that it stung to be on the other end of his bad mood. It was so unlike him, but she pushed away her own mood. She didn’t know what was wrong, but she knew it wasn’t really about her. 

“Okay, Scratch, start talking.” She all but demanded as she slammed her pen down. He looked at her, slightly embarrassed but tried to feign innocence.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about your mood and whatever’s got you so upset.” She pushed out and when he sighed, she did too, and softened her tone. “I can tell something’s up with you, Nick. Something that’s been up since Lilith gave us this Roy’s deal. And I know there’s more going on than you preferring Crave to our new client.”

“Sabrina…” Nick trailed off and looked at his hands.

“You can talk to me, Nick.” She laid her hand on his bicep and felt it tense at her touch. But she didn’t pull it up. “I told you a long time ago I’m here to listen.”

Nick considered her for a moment. He thought he might be able to share with her what was weighing on him, what had been weighing on him for a long time. Her whole self told him he could trust her, and he did trust her. She was probably the only person left who he did trust and the way she was looking at him begged to be let in. He was afraid though and the fear of talking about his parents and Amalia seeped into his body and almost took over. He was about to run, to grab his papers and his jacket and leave. Possibly forever when the hand on his bicep began to rub circles.

“You’re not alone.” She told him and it was the most sincere, the most compassionate he’d ever heard her speak. He could do this. He could tell this girl what was going on. He pressed his lips together once before leaning back and looking at her. She sensed his nerves and nodded at him in support. 

“Crave isn’t my favorite.” He started there. She looked confused but didn’t interrupt. “I only started going there in college really, to avoid Roy’s.”

“Why would you avoid Roy’s?” She asked him. He rubbed his face in hopes the friction would wipe away his nerves. 

“That’s where Amalia and I would go our entire lives.” 

“And Amalia is?...” She edged him along and he was grateful for it. He didn’t know if he’d get through it without her help. 

“Amalia  _ was _ my best friend.” He paused again and then he was off. Once he started talking he found it hard to stop, the floodgates were not able to handle the crashing waves of Nick’s confession of feelings. It felt so good to be letting it all out, and Sabrina was there standing firm and didn’t let the waves knock her down. He latched onto her, knowing if he clung to her tight enough he wouldn't fall either. 

“We grew up together, our parents best friends, and only lived a few blocks from each other. She was a year younger than me, but I didn’t ever care about that. She was sweet and sensitive and we’d spend hours watching movies together-”

“Grease.” Sabrina interrupted with a smile, remembering his costume from her birthday.

“Yeah, Grease was her favorite.” He smiled. “Anyways, we did everything together, and Roy’s was our place. There was one that was smack dab in the middle of our apartments and we’d meet almost every day. Especially when we got to high school because her parents sent her to some all girls school. When I was fifteen and she was fourteen, we started dating. We’d been friends for so long it just felt like that was what we were supposed to do. I think I knew even then that I didn’t love her like that but she did, so we gave it a chance.” Sabrina had to look away for a moment, his story hitting close to home. She and Harvey had been friends forever and started dating. But she told herself they’d make it. “We dated on and off for years. I always  _ hung out  _ with people in between but she didn’t. She was convinced we’d get married some day and I think our parents did too, because they were always so happy when we would be together. I did love her, Sabrina. I loved her so much, but...not like I should have. I mean I was in high school, I had plans to go to school in Chicago or L.A.” She grabbed his arm again in support, content to listen and not jump in quite yet. “We were in one of our ‘dating times’ the summer before my senior year when I told her I was going to leave New York for school. She wasn’t happy, but was supportive and I think she figured we'd make our way back again. My parents died in that fire shortly after my senior year started and I just couldn’t-” He took a deep breath. “I couldn’t  _ be _ in a relationship that I knew was wrong anymore. I think she was convinced we broke up that time because I was grieving, but that wasn’t it. After losing two of the most important people in my life I just…”

“You just knew.” She finished for him. He nodded at her and his face darkened. She didn’t know how this made him feel so bad about Roy’s but figured he was getting there. Sabrina’s stomach filled with dread as she realized it was all about to get worse.

“Amalia still wanted to come to my Prom with me later that Spring, and we were still best friends. We never stopped really, she was right by my side throughout losing my parents. She was incredible. I had been struggling, and her parents were doing all they could to make me feel like I was a part of their family, but I spent most of my time alone. I spent some time with them and we went to Prom, and it was a really really good night. We stopped at Roy’s that night, she’d insisted on getting a latte on the way home. If we hadn’t stopped for one…” His voice was beginning to break. “There was an accident. And it was an accident by all accounts and she...she-”

“Oh Nick…” Sabrina tightened her grip. 

“I was okay, I had dislocated my shoulder but I survived. But Amalia...she had some pretty bad brain injuries and ended up in a coma. It was awful, her parents were devastated and I'd never seen her mom cry so hard. They didn’t blame me, but I did and I’ve hardly seen them in six years. I put off going to UCLA and went to school in New York instead so I could be by her. That’s where I met Prudence and I used meaningless sex to drown out any desire for real connection I had. I’d visit Amalia when her parents weren’t around, I just couldn't face them. I still really can't." Sabrina kept her hand on him the whole time. "She spent a long time in a care facility and her parents were so convinced she’d wake up. But she didn't get better. Her parents they, uh…” Nick swallowed hard. “They decided to pull the plug shortly before I moved here.” Nick had tears streaming down his face. He didn’t know exactly when they started falling, but the supportive look Sabrina was giving him made him feel like he didn’t have to wipe them away. She did it for him in fact, letting her gentle hands caress his cheek. “I uh, I had to get out of the city after that. I saw her everywhere, my parents everywhere. I couldn’t go to Roy’s and the city felt so small yet so big at the same time. It was swallowing me whole so I moved here when I heard an opportunity was coming up at the company.” 

“And now building a marketing strategy for Roy’s is bringing everything up.” Sabrina connected the dots. “I can’t imagine what must be going through your head, Nick.”

“It’s just a lot of memories, some good some bad. Mostly it’s guilt. If I hadn’t taken her to prom or if we hadn’t stopped at Roy’s she’d still be here.”

“You can’t blame yourself like that, Nick. I know me saying that isn’t gonna change how you feel. And I also know telling you I’m sorry isn’t gonna make it any better. Dead parents suck, Nick. But dead best friends fucking suck too.” She said and he chuckled a little, enjoying the way it dulled his pain. She was calling back to her birthday and it made him feel just a little bit better. “You don’t have to do this deal, you know.” 

“No I think I need to.” He answered, resigned. “Roy’s is the best and despite it all, it means a lot to me. I don’t think anyone else should work on it. And I’m glad it’s you too, Spellman. I don’t know that I’d trust anyone else.” 

Her heart surged. When he complimented her work it hit her deeper than when someone called her beautiful. It hit home when he called her beautiful too, remembering how her cheeks flushed at Christmas, but there was something about the way he admired how she threw herself into a project. It was like he truly saw her. 

“I’m here for you, Nick, for whatever you need through this. Thank you for sharing with me.”

“You’re honestly one of the first people I’ve told. Prudence knows bits and pieces but you, you know everything.”

“Why tell me?” She had to know. 

“Because I trust you?” Nick shrugged and then took a deep breath. “And because you’re the first person in a long time who has truly made me feel like I’m not alone. After my parents and after Amalia I never thought I’d find someone I connect with again. I thought I’d be alone forever.” She hadn’t stopped looking at him and neither noticed that they had shifted closer. “I don’t feel that way anymore.” 

“You’re not alone, Nick.” She whispered as she pulled him into a tight hug. He melted into her arms and she held him for a few moments before they pulled away, but kept their faces close.

His eyes were on her and they were doing that thing again where she felt completely seen by him, her being a book he knew by heart, as if he’d written it himself. His eyes darted down to her lips, their perfect, red pout calling out to him to meet them. She noticed right away and her own gaze drifted to his Cupid’s bow, and she couldn’t help but wonder what his smirk tasted like. 

They both leaned in and Nick could smell the bailey’s on her breath that she had snuck in her purse. Sabrina kept thinking about what Ambrose had said about them, about attraction and mistletoe, even though Christmas was long over. They both wanted it, that much she could tell, and their noses brushed sending jolts of electricity so potent they nearly didn’t hear the phone that rang and made them break apart. 

He cleared his throat and pulled away and they both suddenly felt colder, like when a scarf blows away in the winter wind, sudden and biting. Her fingers ached to run through his hair and grasp onto his curls. She knew she’d have to grab onto something for dear life when he kissed her, a fact that seemed inevitable at this point. In order to stop herself from doing so she answered the phone that was still screeching, it not quite stifling her desire to kiss Nick. 

“Night and Day Marketing, this is Sabrina Spellman.” She answered with her “phone voice” though she was still slightly breathless. She was certain Nick’s own breath was still lingering in her mouth from how close he had been to her. How close she had come to kissing him. She stared at the picture of her and Harvey from Christmas in order to remind herself she had a boyfriend, a boyfriend who had been really trying. He hadn’t cancelled a date in a while and had even been taking her places that weren’t Cee’s or Pop’s. For Valentine’s Day he’d even taken her to dinner in New York. 

Nick busied himself with gathering the papers they had been sifting through and started to organize them. He could hear Sabrina try to brush off the moment by focusing on the phone call, but his heart was still beating out of his chest at the memory of Sabrina hitching her breath when his nose brushed hers. Nick focused on the task at hand as Sabrina talked on the phone to a client. He didn’t know who would be calling that late, but it must have been important. He tuned her out to concentrate his own breathing so that when she was off the phone he could sweep this under the rug. Just like they had with every close encounter they had. It wasn’t the first time perhaps they’d sat too close or Nick’s eyes wandered to her red lips. Sabrina’s own gaze had drifted to that lopsided smile that tugged his mouth in a way that screamed at her to kiss him. 

Tonight was the closest they’d ever come however. And if it weren't for that phone, he was certain he would have finally closed the distance and kissed her. And she would have let him. Another thing he was certain of, the scent of her Irish Coffee mixed with her rich perfume was intoxicating. He wanted to know what Bailey’s tasted like on her lips and smell that perfume on his own skin after holding her close. He caught Sabrina eyeing the picture on her desk so he looked at it too, inviting in the pain in hopes it’ll dash away the longing he felt for Sabrina. She had a boyfriend, and that wasn’t going to change. Someday that boyfriend would become her husband, and Nick would just be the coworker that perhaps she was too close too and almost kissed a few times. That was it. That was all he’d ever be. 

“Okay, perfect. Bye.” He heard Sabrina say and the click of the phone in the receiver notified them both that the momentary distraction was over. They’d have to face each other now. Sabrina bit her lip and focused on a notepad, jotting down some quick notes that didn’t really mean anything, but she was writing so she could put off clearing the air with Nick. She decided to start with the phone call. She didn’t think she could think let alone talk about their near kiss until her heart stopped beating as fast.

“So that was Roy himself. We have another week for the proposal, he’s going on a last minute coffee bean acquisition trip or something.” She didn’t meet his eye, worried he’d give her that look again she wouldn’t be stopped from kissing him this time.

“Okay.” Nick responded, trying and failing to read her for the first time ever. She wouldn’t meet his gaze as she began to pack up her things. “Sabrina-”

“So I guess I’ll see you Monday.” Sabrina began to move quicker, suddenly nervous and unable to share the same space with him. He was going to try and talk about what had almost happened and she was not ready for that. The tension that hung in the air felt like the August humidity that was still two months away. She felt a little bad, he had just bared his soul and she was running away. But if she didn’t leave soon, he might see that her feelings surrounding him were complicated. And she wasn’t even ready to see that yet. 

“Sabrina-” Nick tried again. 

“Have a good rest of the weekend, Nick.” She managed to scoot around him and left before he could say anything else. He collapsed in his chair and ran his hands through his hair. He took deep breaths to stifle the panic rising in his chest as he prayed to a god he didn't’ believe in that they could save their friendship. He was not willing to lose anyone else. 

\- 

On Monday morning, Nick was there already with an iced coffee for her and a hot dark roast for him. She looked tired and hadn’t slept well the past two nights. The situation with Nick was plaguing her thoughts and keeping her awake. Harvey had come over Sunday afternoon and while she would have normally jumped at the chance to see him, she still felt tense and ended up just annoyed at him. 

Sabrina knew she owed Nick an apology for running away, and before the awkwardness could get worse and she’d lose a good friend she decided she needed to confront the issue in front of them. He seemed like he had similar thoughts because he sat up when she entered their office and pointed his attention in her direction right away. He opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it.

“Nick, I owe you an apology.” His face twisted in confusion. “You told me about your parents and Amalia and I gave you a second rate comfort and then ran away. That wasn't cool.”

“Sabrina, that wasn’t a second rate comfort.” She smiled slightly. “You really helped me last night. I appreciate you listening and just being there.”

“But-”

“I know you didn’t run away because of what I said.” He pushed before she could finish.

“About that…” She bit her lip cursing herself for letting it be awkward between the two of them. Their conversation always flowed so easily.

“We got carried away in the moment.” He finished for her. He didn’t believe that and he wasn’t sure if she did either, but he knew right now that was all she would admit. “I’m not gonna lie to you, Spellman. I’m very much attracted to you. You’re beautiful and kind and basically the most incredible person I’ve ever met.” She blushed and tried to hide a smile. “ _ But,  _ I can keep my hands to myself. We were vulnerable and had been drinking Bailey’s. Yes, you’ve quickly become an important person in my life. We’re friends, and I get that. I’m grateful for it.”

Sabrina exhaled a sigh of relief. She bit back some disappointment that Nick had been  _ caught up _ . But she pushed it down, but chose to believe that was her case too. 

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to you too.” Sabrina told him as he himself blushed a little. “But I agree that we got carried away. I’m thankful that you’re my friend too, Nick.”

“So can we be good, because I don’t think I can take this weirdness anymore.” Nick asked her, wagging his eyebrows and making her laugh.

“We’re good.” She walked over and hugged him to prove it, both of them folding into the other’s arms easily. Sabrina felt like something clicked into place as he held her and Nick couldn’t help but find when she was close to him he felt the calmest. 

The both told themselves a million times over that they were just friends.

Neither of them really believed it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we ALMOST kissed. And Nick, he's lost a lot of people. Amalia was his best friend and he blames himself for her death. Sabrina can't help but draw comparison between Nick and Amalia and her and Harvey. But she's still resigned to her relationship working out.
> 
> Maybe we'll get an actual kiss next time...


	6. Chapter 6: friends don't know the way you taste

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well...here we are

**Chapter 6: friends don’t know the way you taste**

* * *

  
  


While Sabrina Spellman comes alive during the Fall, there’s something about the Summertime that brings an extra special smile to her face. From an early age she and her friends would slip away to Sweetwater River to swim. And when they were old enough and Hilda worried less they’d pitch a tent and disappear for a few days, eating hot dogs over the fire and whatever food Hilda had tucked away in Sabrina’s cooler. Ambrose used to tease her about the adventures, specifically about sharing a tent with her boyfriend and swimming in a River that was admittedly disgusting. But even he joined them once or twice for a bonfire and some contraband whiskey. Though he never stayed the night, claiming that sleeping outside on the hard ground was not his style. 

This Summer was slightly different, Sabrina still smiled and snuck away to swim as much as she could. She and her friends didn’t manage to make a whole trip of it this year as Harvey seemed to be busier and busier as the days got longer. Sabrina had even managed to drag Nick out for a dip, who had never even fathomed swimming in a river. His city boy style was on full display when he showed up in designer swim shorts and dark sunglasses, and he nearly didn’t even go in. For Nick, swimming was for pools and the occasional trip to the beach. He had never made it an official rule that he didn’t swim in bodies of water where he couldn’t see the bottom, but he thought he might have to after Sweetwater. Yet Sabrina got him in the water anyways, distracting him with a smile and her big, brown eyes before pushing him in. He just pulled her in with him as he fell, not that she complained. She was thankful that the water was cool because his hands on her, despite being in respectful places on her body, still sent waves of fire wherever they touched. The heat was intensified every time their gazes would meet, and Sabrina had to dunk herself in the water or climb on Harvey’s back to remember that she should  _ not _ be thinking about Nick in that way. 

She and Nick fell back into their friendly routine and spent a lot of their time on the Roy’s deal. When they had to take a trip to the city to visit some of the shops, Sabrina held Nick’s hand through it. She ignored the way it seemed her fingers fit the slots between his perfectly and Nick told himself that he would have appreciated the support of anyone. But the moment he walked through the doors of Roy’s and was bombarded with memories of Amalia he was certain that Sabrina Spellman was the only reason he was able to get through it. 

June faded into July and July into August when Sabrina decided to be brave. She had grown tired of running into Prudence at breakfast and missed the times when she could stay out late without feeling like she had to tell her Aunts where she was. She had been dropping hints to Harvey, hoping he’d take the bait and ask her to get a place with him. She had straight up asked him one day but he told her that he needed to save money right now and since his dad had started drinking again, Tommy needed his help to reign him in every night. 

Sabrina wasn’t going to let her boyfriend’s hesitancy keep her from moving out of her childhood bedroom so she searched for a place herself, and ended up finding a cute two bedroom close to downtown. She would use the spare bedroom for all of her books and a home office and she was most excited about the open kitchen and fireplace, already planning dinner parties and movie nights with Harvey on the sectional couch that was on its way from Pottery Barn. 

August was in full swing and Sabrina could feel the hot evening air trailing in the mortuary as she and Ambrose sat in the living room for pre-dinner drinks. She had a busy Monday but had managed to sneak away and sign the lease on her lunch break. Sabrina was figuring out the perfect way to break the news to her family and how to get Ambrose to help her move the collection of items she had acquired over the years. Sabrina figured Ambrose and Zelda wouldn’t care all that much that she was missing, but Hilda might throw a fit. She herself had determined that she’d never move out, despite being in a long term relationship with Dr. Cee. Hilda figured that Sabrina would remain at the mortuary until she married Harvey. Because that was who everyone always expected her to marry. But Sabrina wasn’t waiting around for that anymore to be independent again. 

“I have news.” Sabrina started to get Ambrose's attention. She had been sipping on her wine while he swirled around his drink and she decided she wanted to rip off the bandaid. Ambrose would be the easiest to tell about the move in terms of her family members. 

“I’m listening.” He said as he drank more, though seemingly not giving her his full attention. He figured it likely had something to do with her boring boyfriend, the last “news” she had told him was that Harvey had sold one of his drawings to a local comic writer. It’s not that Ambrose didn’t care about Sabrina’s long-term boyfriend; it was just that...he cared about other things more.

“I’ve made the decision to move.” Sabrina told her cousin who paused mid-sip, eyeing his cousin over his glass which housed a perfectly made Manhattan. He looked rather impressed with her, and wondered where the Hell this was coming from. As far as he knew, Harvey shied away from anything that leaned towards a real commitment. Ambrose figured he should give the Kinkle boy more credit. Perhaps he could grow up and make his cousin happy. “And I’ve decided you’re helping me.” 

Ambrose scoffed at the suggestion. The only manual labor he did was in the bedroom and he had no interest in moving all of his cousin’s crap. 

“Can’t your boyfriend do it? Since you’re moving in with him and everything.” Ambrose complained, as lifting Sabrina’s endless boxes of crap wasn’t exactly what he had in mind for plans that anytime in the future. If Harvey finally grew the balls to take the next step with Sabrina, he was obviously big enough to move her things. 

“I’m not moving in with Harvey.” Sabrina stated and Ambrose rolled his eyes, he should have known. That was the last time he would ever consider giving Harvey Kinkle the benefit of the doubt. Still, he was proud of his cousin for taking the plunge. “I’m just moving  _ out.  _ By myself. And Harvey’s busy this weekend.”

“Then get your other boyfriend to help you.” Ambrose quipped with a proud smile on his face as he noted the way Sabrina’s demeanor shifted. He had obviously meant Nick and she knew it. 

Her face twisted with quiet rage, her cheeks turning red at Ambrose’s comment in anger and just a hint of embarrassment. Ambrose bit back pointing it out to her that she hadn’t denied it, knowing Sabrina wouldn’t hesitate to dump wine on him, and he quite liked his shirt. Prudence had gotten for him and she’d punish him if it was ruined, and not in the way he liked. 

“Why would I ask Nick when I can ask you. You’re my family. You have a moral obligation to help me.” Sabrina told him with anger in her eyes. 

“I don’t think so.” He brushed her off with a wave. “So you knew I was talking about Nick.” Ambrose crossed his arms after setting his drink down and tilted his head to the side. “For all you knew I could have been talking about Theo.”

“Are you going to help me or not?” Sabrina rolled her eyes.

“Not.” Ambrose said as he reached for his drink again. “But do give Nick my best when he helps you.”   
“I’m not going to ask Nick.”

“Oh I know you won’t.” Ambrose told her with a knowing smile. He leaned on his knees and narrowed his eyes in a mischievous way. “But I also know the second Nicholas hears that you’re moving he will show up to move all your crap. Even if you tell him not to.” 

“He will not.” Sabrina argued though she knew her cousin was right. Which was the reason she wasn’t planning on telling him until  _ after _ she moved. She didn’t need another reason to find Nick ridiculously attractive. 

“He will.” 

“Will not.”

“Will too.”

“Would you two stop?” Zelda asked as she entered the room. She placed her fingers on the bridge of her nose and swiped Ambrose's drink from his hand and downed it. “I could hear your bickering from upstairs and I already have a headache.” 

“Then may I suggest water before going for the hard stuff, Auntie?” Ambrose teased her. The look she gave him could kill and probably would have if Hilda hadn’t waltzed in and announced dinner was ready. Ambrose reached for his glass in Zelda’s grasp and made her another drink before the Spellman family all settled around the table.

“So do I want to know what you two were arguing about?” Zelda asked as she served herself a heaping serving of Hilda’s Hungarian Goulash. 

Sabrina shot Ambrose a quick glare to get him to shut up. She wanted to be the one to tell them she was moving and she didn’t want Nick brought up in the conversation.

“You two were arguing again?” Hilda shook her head as she grabbed herself a homemade roll and spread butter on it. “Oi vey, you two. Will you ever stop?”

“You know Sabrina, Aunties. She’s stubborn as Hell and I can’t help but point out to her how she’s wrong.”

“And Ambrose is rude and doesn’t know when to shut up.”

“Oh hush both of you.” Hilda warned. “I won’t have arguing over dinner.”

“Yes, you can save that for dessert.” Zelda mocked and rolled her eyes. 

“Care to tell them what all the fuss is about, cousin?” Ambrose eyed her expectantly. She heaved a sigh and set down her form ceremoniously. 

“Aunties, you know I love you and am so thankful for you.” She paused and looked at them both. Zelda was impatient and ready for her niece just to spit it out already. Hilda had concern in her gaze but let Sabrina continue. “I’m moving out. On Saturday?”

“Moving out?” Zelda boomed.

“So soon?” Hilda brought her hand to her heart and then widened her eyes. “Did Harvey propose?”

“He better not have.” Zelda spit out. “He did not ask permission and I likely would not grant it.”

Ambrose chucked at the glare Sabrina sent her aunts. 

“He did not propose, Aunties.” Zelda sighed in relief but Hilda looked almost disappointed. “In fact I’m not moving in with him at all. I’m getting my own place downtown. It’s time.” She said with authority.

“Are you sure that’s wise, love?” Hilda leaned in and said quietly, testing the waters. “What if Sweet Harvey does propose, then you’ll be locked into a lease.”

“I don’t see Harvey proposing within the next year.” Sabrina shrugged sadly, though she would never let her family see how much she wanted him to. “And if he does, he can move in with me.”

“Well I for one and proud of you.” Zelda turned towards Sabrina and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t need a  _ boy _ to be independent and get your own place.” The use of the word boy was deliberate. Zelda Spellman saw no difference between the bumbling teenager Sabrina began dating at sixteen and the miner he is now. He was no man and no better suited for her niece than a toad. She had made her opinions loud and clear years ago, but they’d fallen on deaf ears. Sabrina Spellman was attached to the Kinkle boy, despite how wrong for her he was.

“Thank you, Aunt Zelda...I think.”

“Do you need help moving?” Hilda asked her as they all went back to eating.

“Ambrose is helping me.”

Ambrose dropped his fork with a clank, but knew better than to deny it in front of the Aunts. He knew they’d have his head if he didn’t help her. So he let her go on thinking he would, even though he knew he wouldn’t be showing up bright and early Saturday morning. Someone else would instead.

-

Sabrina served herself a plate of egg bake and sausage that her aunt had made the night before and slipped it into the microwave. Hilda had spent the night at Cee’s but knew Sabrina would need her energy and a good breakfast if she was to move her whole life today. She drank her coffee slowly and savored every bit of the drink, smiling to herself and knowing Nick would tease her if he saw how much sugar she put in that morning. Except she wasn't thinking about Nick…

After waiting quite some time for her cousin to traipse down the stairs, she made her way up to his attic room to pull him out of bed and begin forcing him to help her. She was met with an empty attic, however, and his bed didn’t look slept in. Not that he ever made it on a normal day. With a huff she traveled back down the stairs and was met with a tired-looking Zelda who was helping herself to some breakfast.

“Have you seen Ambrose, Aunt Zee?” She asked with a little more bite than her aunt deserved. Zelda raised her eyebrows at that, not understanding where the hostility was coming from.

“Well good morning to you too.” She huffed before sucking in her morning cigarette. 

“I’m sorry.” Sabrina grumbled. “Good morning. But have you?”

“Ambrose didn’t sleep here last night. I believe he was with Prudence.”

“I’m gonna kill him.” Sabrina shrugged and stated cooly.

“Why this time?” 

“Because, Aunt Zee, he’s supposed to help me move today.”

“Well I certainly can’t help you.” A coy smile appeared on Zelda’s face. “Marie and I are going to a winery. Call Harvey.”

“Harvey’s busy.” Sabrina crossed her arms and sighed. Maybe she wouldn’t be moving today. She was strong, but some of her things were quite heavy. “I guess I’ll call my landlord and move a different day.”

Sabrina pouted but a knocking on her door grabbed her attention. Sabrina noticed Zelda had no intention of getting up to answer it, so with a sigh she pulled herself from her chair and headed to the door. She was contemplating whether or not she should go for a run, not wanting the olive green leggings and cropped top set she was wearing to be a waste, when she opened the door wide to find a smiling Nicholas Scratch on the other side of it. 

He chuckled at her startled expression and vowed to keep his eyes on her face and not the expansive skin that was glowing in between her shirt and pants. Her bikini from Sweetwater left little to his imagination, her small body gliding effortlessly through the water the few times she’d dragged him out. But there was something about the sliver of skin peeking out between the two pieces of clothing that screamed mystery and intrigue. He wanted to feel the skin there and to know if it was as warm as he felt. 

“Nick, what are you doing here?” She asked as she tilted her head to the side. Her short hair was pulled into two tiny buns at the base of her neck and a headband was still prominently placed holding the flyaway hairs back. This one was also olive green, to match her outfit, and Nick thought it made her brown eyes almost golden.

“Ambrose sent me in his place to work.” Sabrina let out a sigh. Of course he had done that. That boy just couldn’t leave well enough alone. Nick noticed her uneasiness and grasped at humor as it usually did the trick in calming her down. “Well to be honest it more of a ‘There’s no way in Hell I’m helping my cousin move and I know you will so can you do it for me?’”

Nick’s impression of Ambrose and his suave British Ambrose made Sabrina laugh. She shook her head though, not entirely intending to let Nick help.

“He shouldn’t have sent you. You don’t need to help me, Nick.” 

“I know. But I’m going to anyway.” Nick said and took a few more steps towards her, essentially forcing himself in the door. He knew she’d resist letting him help, so he decided he wouldn’t give her an option. “So where’s your room, Spellman?” Sabrina was shaken up for a moment and sputtered her words. As if realizing his insinuation Nick smiled and continued gently. “As in where is all the stuff so I can start packing it.” 

“Everything is packed already and in boxes.” Sabrina managed to get out when she finally closed the door and led him further into the mortuary. He looked around, taking in all the sights. It had been dark when he showed up for her birthday party and had only come in to use the bathroom. He enjoyed getting this glimpse of his pretty, blonde friend. “Um, follow me up to my room.” 

Nick chuckled again at her shakiness, not knowing why she felt so awkward. He thought it might have something to do with the tension in the air that seemed to follow them like a shadow. 

All things considered, Sabrina didn’t have much to bring over. She hadn’t emptied her whole room and decided to put most of her focus on her books and clothes. She figured it wasn’t her forever place and she and Harvey would have a house eventually. The family heirlooms and memory bins could remain where they were in the Mortuary closets until that day came. As for odds and ends, Hilda had packed her a box of extra kitchen utensils and anything else she needed she could buy. The place came furnished and after planning a girls trip to the Hobby Lobby in Riverdale for decorations with Roz the next day, all she had left to do was move her boxes. Which Nick insisted on doing most of. 

It’s not that he wouldn’t let her carry the heavy stuff or that he thought she couldn't’, he was well aware that there was a multitude of power held within her tiny frame. But the Mortuary had narrow steps and her boxes were heavy and he didn’t want her to get hurt. His broad shoulders and big hands were certainly put to better use carrying things than directing. She was hesitant at first to tell him what to do, but after a little classic Nick/Sabrina bickering they fell into their normal ease and Sabrina found herself easily using her firm voice and teasing Nick when he almost tripped over a runaway scarf. 

By the time all of her boxes were downstairs and in the front lawn she was grateful Nick was there. Not only had it taken her about half the time it would have, there was no way all her things would fit in her CRV. It had a large trunk, but Sabrina had a lot of clothes. She thought when sweaters and skirts are your staple, you have to have a multitude of them. Nick teased her about that right back. Nick’s truck proved the perfect solution, and Sabrina thanked the lucky stars she didn’t have to borrow the hearse. She had driven it once in high school, and while she loved horror, she felt she had smelled like dead people for weeks afterwards. 

Nick followed her in his truck to her apartment, and ran a hand through his hair before they started to unload again. If he was tired or annoyed he didn’t show it, appearing perfectly content spending his Saturday with her getting sweaty and tired. She shuddered at the thought and pushed visions of a sweaty Nick out of her mind, but the look of him right now brought the heat directly back to her body. 

It wasn’t often that she saw him in a dressed down look. Typically he’d be donned in dress pants and sweaters or button ups, even in the Summer and always dark in color. Sabrina didn’t think she’d ever seen him in anything resembling light on the color wheel. There was just something unmistakably  _ Nick  _ about looking put together in clothes that resembled the dark sky or a dying fire. 

So when he showed up earlier in basketball shorts and a T-shirt, Sabrina was struck by the image. It wasn’t as shocking as when he and his tanned, toned chest showed up to Sweetwater at her request, but seeing him metaphorically let his hair down and relax was attractive. 

His old Columbia T-shirt hugged his biceps perfectly as he carried another one of her boxes to her new place. She’d be lying if she didn’t admit that that particular box was filled with books just heavy enough to make the veins in his arm pop out. He liked to sneak a peek at how they rose to the occasion any time Nick lifted something heavy for her. It was hard to look away. She decided their relationship was like when she was a kid and would go to antique shops with Hilda. She was allowed to look, but never touch. But, like the old porcelain doll she’d broken and then hid in an old toy chest, it only made her want to touch him more. 

Every now and then she’d catch him running a hand through his curls again and again. The constant bending and lifting had thrown them out of place and he had forgone his typical product to keep them in place, knowing it’d do no use to tame them after the work he’d be doing that day. He’d sneak glances at her too, noticing how her teeth pulled at her bottom lip when she was concentrating or how there was one particular piece of hair that wouldn’t stay put in the baby buns, despite how many times she brushed at it. 

When the boxes were finally all brought in she moved to one of the kitchen boxes to find glasses and her instant lemonade. She didn’t have any food or alcohol there yet, but figured they needed to get hydrated anyways. She knew they were playing with fire as soon as she invited him to stay longer after moving all her things into her new place. The heavy lifting was done and she had no intention of unpacking any of the boxes today, so really she didn’t need his help anymore and he didn’t  _ need _ to be there. But she didn’t need or want his help, she just wanted to spend time with him. 

She reminded herself again and again that they were friends and plenty of friends helped each other move and then hung out together. Ordering him food was the least she could do after commandeering his Saturday, one of the few left of the Summer. So when she asked him to stay he couldn’t say no, despite thinking maybe he shouldn’t. They’d been toeing the line even closer since they almost kissed two months ago and if the opportunity presented itself again, he didn’t think he’d stop it this time. And she didn’t either, despite the boyfriend she had that was currently working overtime somewhere deep in the Greendale Mines. 

“So why didn’t you just ask me to help?” Nick asked her as he leaned against her kitchen island. She had gone quiet for a moment after they finished their discussion about work, and he took the opportunity to ask her the question. He was tired of talking about work with her, he wanted to talk about everything with her. Not just Roy’s or whatever acquisition they had next. She tilted her head to the side and took a deep breath before answering. It had hurt his feelings a little bit that she hadn’t told him she was moving, even more that she didn’t ask for his help. Especially when she had helped him more than she would ever know. 

“Because I knew you would?” She answered in a questioning tone that didn’t have him convinced. He eyed her and his silence prompted her to sigh again and keep going. “I don’t know, Nick. I didn’t want you to feel like you had to. Also…” Sabrina faded off and bit her lip again. 

“What?” He crossed his arms and stood up straight. 

“I didn’t want to hear what you say anything about Harvey not only not moving in with me, but also not helping.” Nick furrowed his brows. “Ambrose had an opinion about it and I knew you’d have an opinion about it and I already have an opinion about it and I guess…”

“You didn’t need to hear your own thoughts out loud?” Nick suggested and Sabrina nodded. Sabrina knew Nick had a lot of feelings about the way Harvey often treated her or took her for granted. He was her friend, how could he not? But his thoughts were often closely aligned with her own and it hurt enough to  _ feel  _ angry at Harvey, she didn’t need Nick of all people to point it out to her too. Not when she knew Nick would never let her move without help, and she wasn’t even dating him. She didn’t tell him or elaborate further, but she also didn’t invite him to help her move because of how her heart was beating in that moment. Too fast and too slow all at the same time, and every beat begged for Nick to come closer. She needed to avoid those thoughts as much as possible. “So let’s not talk about Harvey.” Nick clapped his hands. “Let’s talk about what small-town take out we’re going to order and how I’m going to rig the TV so we can watch a movie.” 

Sabrina giggled and smiled as she was unable to stop Nick from putting her in a good mood. As he smiled back at her, in her mind she continued to thank and curse Nick for being so great. 

They ended up ordering pizza and camping out on her floor to watch a movie. Sabrina hadn’t gotten a chance to clean the couch that came with the place and she was a little hesitant to sit on it just yet, already excited to switch it out with the one she ordered. Nick managed to find some wood outside to make a fire and Sabrina picked a horror movie for them to watch. Nick couldn’t help but notice how “date-like” this evening was, and even Sabrina picked up on the tension. It wasn’t a bad tension though, like when she picked a movie that Harvey hated or he forgot to order the pizza without olives. This tension was the exciting kind. She thought it was like riding a roller coaster when a ball of nerves forms in her stomach as the rickety old car travels up the hill. Pretty soon she could look over the edge and see the adventure and fall she was about to take. That was what it was like to be around Nick. The tension always built, but they never made it over the hill.

When the movie was over, Nick immediately went to help her clean up. There wasn’t much to do, as they had eaten right out of the pizza box, but he wouldn’t let her do it alone. The moon was peeking through her kitchen window as she put their lemonade glasses in the sink and the way it bounced off her hair and sparkled distracted him from how late it was. He had spent all day with her without even realizing it. They say time flies when having fun, but it moved at warp-speed for him when he was having fun with her. Because for him moving all of her boxes was fun. He particularly enjoyed the way her nose scrunched when he put something down too hard and the scolding he received when he took a break to peek in one of her book boxes was music to his ears. 

She turned and leaned against the sink, he was against the island, and she smiled at him again. He was learning that Sabrina Spellman smiled at everyone. But she had this one particular smile, one that lit up her whole face and begged for another smile to join in, that she only showed a select few people. Her family had gotten it of course, even Ambrose who she either loved or hated depending on the day. He’d seen her smile at her friends, her cat Salem, even Harvey once or twice when he’d seen them interact. But she smiled at him like that too. She’d done it the first time at her birthday, and she was doing it again now. 

When she noticed that his own smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, she prodded.

“What’s going on?” When he didn’t answer she raised her eyebrows in her determined way, he realized he wasn’t getting away with it. With a deep breath he looked in her eyes.

“This weekend was the one year anniversary of Amalia’s parents taking her off life support.” Sabrina’s mouth formed an  _ Oh _ as she mentally kicked herself for not remembering it was coming up. 

“Nick…” She started.

“But today was really good to help me keep my mind off of it. I’m glad I got to spend today with you.” He was sincere in his smile and she had no doubt he meant it. He was consistently amazing her in the way simply showed up, even today in the midst of the anniversary of a tragedy. “Do you want to?...”. Talk about it. She didn’t have to finish for him to know what she was asking. 

“No. Really I’m good.” He said simply and she didn’t push. He didn’t open up much and sharing this fact was huge for him. Plus, he didn’t want to ruin what he thought was a perfect day with conversation about dead best friends. 

“Thank you for helping me, Nick. Really I appreciate it. I probably wouldn’t have been able to move today without you.” She told him.

“I was happy to do it.” Nick nodded his head and spoke honestly. “Besides I got dinner and a movie out of it, so it wasn’t a total loss.” 

She laughed outright and Nick reveled in the sound, as the smile never left her face. She walked towards him and placed her hand on his bicep. She’d been looking all day and could no longer stop herself. His skin burned beneath her fingertips but she didn’t move her hand.

“You’re something else, Scratch.” She said slightly breathless as she dared meet his eyes. They were filled with intensity and understanding. She recognized that look in his eyes, desire and respect all rolled into one. 

“Right back at ya, Spellman.” Nick said with sincerity as he refused to break eye contact. She bit down on her lower lip and the action made Nick bold. He reached up to right the flyaway hairs he’d been admiring all day, the simple brush of his fingers against her temple sending her body into overdrive. She let out a soft sigh, one so quiet Sabrina thought he hadn’t heard it. But his tiny smirk told her otherwise. 

She couldn’t take it anymore. The pull was too strong and her heart was beating too fast. 

Later she’d blame it on the pounding of her heart in her ears for clouding her brain. That mixed with the scent of his deodorant that had been working hard considering how many boxes he’d carried and the slightly upturned style of his lips made it impossible for her not to press hers to them. 

So she did. 

Sabrina dug her hands in Nick’s hair and pulled him down to meet her lips. He was surprised at first, shocked that this was actually happening. But he followed suit quickly, kissing her back with the fire and passion that had been building for nearly a year. His hands went to her waist and his thumbs worked the still-exposed span of skin between her top and pants, which made her pull him even closer to her. 

The feeling of his lips against hers shocked her and sent electricity through her body. She felt it in her fingertips as they threaded themselves in Nick’s curls, and Nick felt the electric waves coming off of her in every tug and scrape of his scalp. She had been right in her assumptions that she’d need something to hold onto when they kissed. The insistent work he was making, made her knees weak and she was certain she’d never stand straight again. For all of the tension building, making it over the hill was so much better. 

Sabrina slotted even closer to him as the kiss deepened and his thumb slipped under her top, finding new skin to set on fire. He led her backwards so he could put her between him and the counter. The sensation of slamming against something made her gasp, and Nick took the opportunity to slip his tongue in her mouth, which she gratefully accepted. She pulled on his curls tighter and bit down on his lower lip, drawing a guttural groan from him. Something took over her then, an undeniable want and need, so she pushed him back slightly. But only so she could hop on the counter and pull him in even closer. He had just begun scraping his teeth and lips along her neck and she had all but locked her heels together after wrapping her legs around his waist when her phone rang. The vibration of it and where it was haphazardly placed on the edge of the island sent it tumbling to the floor and the sound surprised them enough to send Nick and Sabrina flying apart.

She was still perched on the counter breathing heavy and her eyes were open wide as she stared at the ringing thing on the ground. Nick’s hair was messy and his chest was heaving up and down too, unable to move in that moment.

“Um-Uh.” Sabrina didn’t know what to say as she jumped down from the counter and picked up her phone from where it was face down. Her heart dropped into her stomach when she saw the name and goofy picture on the caller ID.

_ Harvey.  _

From Nick’s scowl she knew he saw it too, so she turned away from so he couldn’t see her slightly disappointed face. Nick turned away too, he didn’t want to hear the conversation. 

“Hey, Harvey.” She got out, trying to hide the fact that she was still breathless.

“Hey, Brina, how’s the place?” He sounded genuinely excited for her and guilt wracked through her body and it didn’t feel good. It was nothing like the feelings she was having just a few moments ago. 

“It’s great, Harvey. I like it a lot.”

“I’m glad. You deserve a good place.” She smiled at his sweetness. “Did Ambrose end up helping you?”

“No, Nick did actually.” She turned now and Nick did too at the sound of his name. They locked eyes for a moment before he shook his head and sighed. 

“Oh great! That was cool of him.” More guilt. “So I was thinking, I just got off and I know it’s late, but I thought maybe I could come over tonight. I’ll stop and get us milkshakes.”

Part of Sabrina wanted to say yes and send Nick on his way and avoid the whole thing. But another part wanted to take a rain check with Harvey and figure out what the Hell just happened. The first part won out. Sabrina agreed and when she hung up she dreaded the conversation she was about to have.

“That was Harvey.” She told Nick. “He’s coming over.” 

“I figured.” He said simply, already gathering the few things he brought. 

“Nick, I-” She started but had no idea how to finish. What do you say to the friend you’ve been dancing around for a year after you finally share an incredibly good and passion filled kiss? She had no idea. He raised his eyebrows as if she were going to continue. 

“Yes, Sabrina?” His simple ask startled her. When she just shrugged and said nothing he sighted and shook his head. He didn’t know what would happen when he finally kissed her, but he didn’t expect to feel suddenly unwelcome and kicked out by her boring boyfriend. In order to avoid her seeing just how much it hurt, he decided to take his leave. “I’ll see you Monday.” 

Without a word he left and Sabrina considered stopping him, but had no idea what she would say. And she feared she had absolutely just ruined everything. 

-

Sabrina slept horribly Saturday and Sunday night. Harvey had come over not long after Nick left, and while her boyfriend had tried, Sabrina was not up for sex that night. Her excuse was, and it was true, she was exhausted from a day of moving. But the real reason was that she didn’t feel it was right to sleep with Harvey after nearly mounting Nick earlier. Also she couldn’t escape the plaguing thoughts of Nick’s lips on her neck and his tongue in her mouth.

Needless to say she was frustrated and tired Monday morning. But also angry, very angry. At both herself and Nick for doing what they had when she had a perfectly nice boyfriend. 

So she wasn’t shocked, but Nick was, when he entered their joint office to find his desk empty and all of his things missing. She looked up at his bewildered expression and softened for just a moment when he caught the two cups of coffee in his hands. He had still gotten her some.

“What’s going on, Sabrina?”

“Good news.” She said as she set her pen down. “Lilith finally found you an office.” 

“And you decided that?...”. He started.

“I decided I’d help you and move your stuff over.” She was flippant this morning so he set the coffee down and walked over to her to get to the bottom of it.

“Right. Okay.” He sighed. “Sabrina I know what this is really about.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Nicholas.” She glared at him when he rolled his eyes.

“Don’t  _ Nicholas  _ me.” He pursed his lips. “This is about the kiss.”

At the mention of it she blushed and stood to start pacing to hide it.

“Do you find me so unprofessional that I would stoop to kicking you out just because we kissed?” 

“No.” He stated. “But I think you’re scared about what it means so you’re kicking me out to avoid it.” 

“What it means?” She scoffed now mockingly at him. “It means nothing.” 

“That’s not true and you know it, Spellman.” He pushed.

“What I  _ know  _ is that you said you’d keep your hands to yourself!” She said frustratingly. 

He bit his lip in frustration now and shook his head at that.

“You kissed me.” He stated and that shut her up for a moment as she remembered that she was, in fact, the one that closed the distance. “And it was a damn good kiss.” 

“Well it will never happen again.” She didn’t deny it but brushed him off. “I have a boyfriend, it was a mistake.”

Nick took a deep steadying breath. The woman in front of him was strong, powerful and incredible. But she was crumbling in front of him. He knew they had a connection, but it seemed like she wasn’t ready to admit it. And he wasn’t about to force her.

“I don’t know that it was a mistake.” He couldn’t help but say. She averted her eyes. “But it won’t happen again. I won’t put you in this position again.”

“Thank you.” She croaked out, even though she felt like she wanted him to kiss her again. She wanted him to do more than kiss her. She took a deep breath and faced him then. “You’re my friend, Nick. I care too much about you for us to screw this up because of an attraction.”

“I care about you too, Spellman. We won’t mess this up. I promise.” She smiled when he finally did and they engaged in a quick and friendly hug. Normally he’d hug her tighter, but he didn’t want the smell of her perfume to linger on him and remind him of what it was like to draw a moan from her lips. 

“And really it’s time for you to have your own office. You’re a senior marketer, you deserve it.” She smiled sincerely at him. “I will miss you though.” 

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” He teased and chuckled when she threw a paper clip at him. “I’ll see you later then?” 

He raised his eyebrows in challenged and she pressed her lips together and nodded her head.

“Lunch at Cee’s at noon.” 

“Done.” He said and winked as he left the door.

She braced herself on her desk chair, and steadied her breath. Having Nick in his own office would help quell the tension that builds around them. But now after knowing what it’s like to make it over the drop? What it’s like to have his tongue roll over hers? She didn’t know if anything would tamper her desire to do it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they kissed! At first I was gonna make their first kiss simpler and more of a peck, but then I thought otherwise. This Nick and Sabrina are too tense around each other for that to work. So here they are, Sabrina and Nick both willing and ready...but alas another phone call interrupts. But eventually they won't be interrupted.
> 
> And our dear Sabrina had to freak out and deny and Nick had to let her figure out her mind in peace. But they'll find their way eventually.
> 
> Hope you liked it and as always, comments and thoughts are appreciated!


	7. Chapter 7: you carry me like the tiny straps on that dress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't like reading explicit scenes stop after Nick exits the elevator. It's not like crazy explicit, but its rated M. Just a warning...

Chapter 7

**you carry me like the tiny straps on that dress**

After Nick moved out of Sabrina’s office and into his own things drifted into more professional territory, as professional as they could be after finally kissing in Sabrina’s kitchen with her perched on her counter and moaning into his mouth. When moving him over, she was determined to help him decorate and forced him to look at her pinterest board to find the perfect aesthetic. She settled for buying him a few succulents, and he’d given in on that simply because they were low maintenance. 

They don’t talk about the kiss, even though they both think about it often, but fall back into their routine of being friends. Neither of them talk about it with anyone else either, and it faded away a little bit each day like the Summer warmth. 

Sometimes when Harvey kissed her she couldn’t help but compare it to Nick, which made her try harder with him. But Harvey still doesn’t move in, and Sabrina decides to just stop bringing it up, lest be continuously annoyed with him. Nick eventually tries to date too. He met an old high school classmate of Sabrina’s, Lizzie, at her Halloween birthday party and they hit it off. She’s a sweet girl, a local first grade teacher, and provided him with good company when loneliness sets in and memories of Sabrina come flooding back.

Lizzie’s got that girl next store quality that anyone would love, and it was no surprise to Nick when he found out she was the Prom Queen. She wasn’t necessarily boring, but was so agreeable and would always do what _he_ wanted and give in before a real discussion could be had. She certainly kept his bed warm, but it lacked the heat and passion he craved. There was only one person he felt that with and she was currently shackled to her own relationship and likely didn’t even see him that way.

Nick had brought her to the company Christmas party and she had been so proud to have helped Nick pick out his secret Santa gift. Sabrina had all but forced him to participate this year, and they had coincidentally pulled each other’s names. She bought him cologne, a brand she spent hours picking out the same kind he had mentioned his father used to wear. It had made him nearly tear up, if he did that sort of thing. Lizzie had picked out a bright pink scarf for Sabrina because she had told Nick that every girl needs one. She was so excited when Sabrina opened it and Sabrina put on her best face and faked a thanks. Pink wasn’t exactly her color, and Nick knew this, her signature shade had always been red. So he mouthed a silent _I’m sorry_ and planned to give her her real gift later, a leather bound compilation of her father’s writings about the business. He had studied it in school and thought she should have it. She hugged him tightly to her when he pulled her into his office for a quiet moment. He hugged her back just as close in thanks for the cologne. A few tears escaped her eyes at the thoughtful gift he’d given her before teasing him for buying her a pink scarf. He chuckled and blamed his girlfriend, to which Sabrina rolled her eyes to hide her disappointment. Her heart tightened at that word falling from his lips but she ignored it and blamed the rich food she’d eaten. She told herself Nick was allowed to have a girlfriend, she was surprised he hadn’t had one already, him being the guy he is and looking like he does. She was happy for him, and Lizzie was a great girl. Really, she was happy for him. 

Things took a turn around the holidays when she invited him to her family’s house for Christmas dinner. He had grumbled some excuse about thinking about it and would let her know but he nearly broke down when he showed up to Sabrina’s house one night with a bottle of wine in need of advice. Sabrina built a fire, which Nick had taught her, while he poured the drinks and they both settled on her couch from Pottery Barn that had shown up a few days after she’d moved in. He started freaking out quickly, and Sabrina struggled to keep up. 

“She asked me to come for Christmas, Spellman.”

“So go.” Sabrina suggested simply and took a sip of her wine. “She is your girlfriend.”

“You know I don’t do the holidays. I just-I can’t.” He looked down at his wine glass like a kid who had just gotten in trouble. Her heart went out to him. In that moment she saw the boy who had lost his parents, his best friend, and somewhere along the way? His sense that he was allowed to be happy this time of year. She reached over and placed a hand on his arm to comfort him. Nick ignored the way the simple touch calmed him immediately, while to Sabrina it did the opposite. Setting her fingertips ablaze. 

“I know, Nick.” Sabrina told him and smiled slightly. “You can tell her you’re coming to my house? You don’t even have to come. Just use it as an excuse.” 

She had already invited him again and he had already declined, but she planned to set a place for him just as she had last year. Even though he wouldn’t come. Nick shook his head at her suggestion.

“She’ll just want to come with me. I told her I may already have something going on and she told me that she could come to my family’s party and that would be fine…”

“Your family?” Sabrina asked, confused. “But-” He looked at her again like he knew he was in trouble. “She doesn’t know…”

“No.”

“Oh, Nick…” She tightened her grip on his wrist and rubbed her thumb on his skin. 

“I just couldn’t tell her, Sabrina. I-” He took a deep breath and a terrified look crossed his face, one she had never seen before. “I can’t talk about it. It’s just-I can’t.”

“But you told me.” She reminded him gently and remembered when he’d shared with her on her birthday those first few months he was here. He had told her easily and without question, and they’d barely known each other. 

“She’s not you.” Nick let slip out of his mouth before he could stop it. It was true, Lizzie wasn’t Sabrina. No one was like her. But he didn’t need to be confessing that to her, not when she had a boyfriend and he had a girlfriend. Sabrina’s eyes widened and was stunned silent. She didn’t know what to say and Nick had to recover quickly before things got awkward. “What I mean is...is you get it. With your parents and all.” Sabrina nodded and Nick swallowed and continued his story. “Lizzie is so happy and peppy and I?...I don’t know, I guess I’m-I don’t know, I don’t want to ruin that for her.”

“You could never ruin someone’s happiness, Nick.” Sabrina told him but he snorted in disbelief. Amalia and her family rushed through his mind. She gave him a pointed look. “And I know what you’re thinking. Amalia was an accident, and _you_ didn’t take away her family’s happiness. The accident did. You’re deserving of happiness, Nick.” They looked at each other in the eyes again and felt that undeniable pull. She could lean in and he would too and she’d get to feel what it was like to kiss him again. Oh, how she wanted to kiss him again. But he was dating Lizzie and she was dating Harvey so when he breathed out her name she decided to remind both of them. “Lizzie is a good person. You can trust her with this whenever you’re ready. As for Christmas? Just tell her it's too soon for you to meet the family or fake sick or something. You don’t have to do something you don’t want to do.” He nodded and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to his side in a friendly manner. He noted that she slotted perfectly there as they melted together. She was right, he didn’t have to do anything he didn’t want to do. But it seemed with her pressed close to him and her reaching for the remote to put on a cheesy Christmas movie, he couldn’t do what he wanted either. Which was to stay there, right there, with her in his arms for the rest of his life. 

-

After Christmas and after Nick spent another holiday ordering take out and watching a movie, things were shaky between him and Lizzie. He tried, he really did, to open up to her but shortly before Valentines Day he knew it wasn’t working and, like Amalia, he knew he didn’t love her. He wouldn’t string someone else along and allow them to be dragged down with him, so he ended the relationship. He was sad, but more so because he missed the companionship, not because he was losing Lizzie. And this only confirmed the relationship was doomed and made him feel shittier about the whole thing.

Sabrina kept trucking along with Harvey, and while he didn’t take her to New York for Valentine’s Day, he did cook for her. When he tried to dance with her around the living room, her thoughts kept drifting to Nick and wondering how he was doing all alone and recently single on Valentine’s Day. Harvey stayed the night and the two had sex, neither realizing it would be the last time for a long time. After Valentine’s Day Harvey’s work took him out of town for days to weeks on end, and when he returned he was always tired. The Kinkles were trying to acquire new mines into their gold, and Sabrina began to feel like an afterthought. So she stopped initiating and so did he, and she didn’t really miss it. 

But the doubt she had for Harvey didn’t outmatch the need she felt to prove everyone wrong. She and Harvey wouldn’t fail this near ten year relationship. They would go the distance. 

June was just creeping into the air when Lilith gave Nick and Sabrina a special project. Representatives from the company had been invited to a Summer Kickoff Gala in New York City by one of their clients. Lilith was convinced that attending the party would provide the perfect networking opportunity to discover more clients in the city and thought Nick and Sabrina were the ones for the job. 

It was that weekend and Lilith had booked them both hotel rooms at the Plaza where the gala was being held. Sabrina was giddy with excitement, having never been to the Plaza, but grew up watching Kevin and Eloise dance around the lobby and going on adventures. She couldn’t imagine being left home alone by her family, but Kevin sure did look like he had fun. Nick had been there a few times as his parents were usually invited to stuffy parties around Christmastime. He and Amalia would play hide and seek and when they were older they’d steal a bottle of champagne and head to the balcony. 

“So a romantic getaway weekend with Nicholas Scratch?” Ambrose teased her a few days later as she got ready and packed. Sabrina rolled her eyes at her cousin’s comment, but had been prepared for it. He had been teasing her mercilessly since Nick showed up nearly two years ago and she’d come to expect it from him. 

“It’s for work, Ambrose. You know that.” Sabrina was picking through her old closet at the Mortuary where all her old dresses were, trying to find the perfect gown for the Gala. It was at the Plaza and a lot of high-end company owners would be there. The owner, Lara, of the small boutique they represent was already planning on introducing her and Nick to some of the people she knew. So Sabrina was obviously freaking out about what she was going to wear. Nick had it easy as he just had to put on a tux, one she was certain he already had because Nicholas Scratch just seemed like the type to have one on hand. The thought of him being able to dress up at the drop of a hat brought red tones to her cheeks. Before her cousin could comment on the blushing she changed the subject. “What do I wear, Ambrose? I don’t have a dress that works.”

“What about the purple one you wore to-”

“No.” She cut him off and he closed his mouth and nodded his head. “That’s short. I need a _gown_ , Ambrose.” 

“And I take it your prom dresses are out of the question?” He suggested only slightly kidding. She narrowed her eyes at him and he chuckled at her deathly glare. Those would definitely not fit her anymore. She was still small, but her curves had become more prominent and her chest didn’t quite fit in her teenage clothes. It was like a lightbulb went off in Ambrose’s head then. He held up a single finger and tore out of the room. When he returned he was carrying a gorgeous red gown that had a low back. It had delicate beads sewn throughout and looked to be just her size. “What about this one?”

“Ambrose...where did you get this?” She asked as she touched the delicate fabric. It was just her shade of red and simply, perfect.

“It was my mum’s.” He smiled as he looked down at it. He didn’t notice Sabrina’s gasp and widened eyes. 

“Ambrose, I can’t wear your mom’s dress.” She insisted.

“Why not?” He shrugged and then smirked. “It’s not quite my size so I can’t wear it. And it should be worn.”

“What’s it from?”

“Mum liked her parties in London. She used to go to all the balls and galas back when she lived there. This dress was her favorite, given to her by my dad apparently. She’d wear it and go home with men just to spite the bastard that left her.” 

He chuckled which invited Sabrina to giggle along. Her heart tugged at the gesture of Ambrose sharing this with her. His mother had been the most special person to him. Sabrina didn’t remember much of her as she died when Sabrina was a toddler. But Ambrose adored her. She and Ambrose had moved to the states and into the mortuary when Ambrose was just a boy and she had gotten sick. The best doctors were in New York and she wanted to fight, and she did fight. Hard. But tragically and cruelly she lost the battle when Ambrose was seven and Sabrina was two, the cousins becoming kindred spirits in their orphan-hood and desire to cause trouble. That hadn’t changed over the years and when there was mischief to be had, Sabrina and Ambrose were right there. 

“Thank you, Ambrose.” Sabrina told him sincerely as a tear rolled down her cheek. Her cousin reached over and wiped it off before ruffling her hair.

“Anything for you, cousin.” He said sincerely and then when a cheeky grin took over his face she knew whatever he was about to say would surely be something. “Now try it on for me. We can’t let Nicholas be the only one to see you in it.” 

With a laugh and another roll of the eyes she did as he cousin asked, and when she put it on his jaw dropped. It truly was perfect and hugged her exactly as it should. And she would never tell Ambrose, but she was excited for Nick to see her in it. 

-

“So I was emailing Lara yesterday about who’s all gonna be there and it’s some pretty big names, Nick.” Sabrina said, looking down at her portfolio as they sat on the train. She was seated across from him and had work in front of her. He had brought his worn copy of _Death of a Salesman_ in hopes he could read through the play and not think about work on their train ride in. 

“Spellman.” He attempted to cut in.

“We may have to split up to cover the most ground. Honestly I wish Lilith had let us come in yesterday. I mean the gala is tonight, how are we going to prepare? She’s so cheap sometimes.”

“Spellman.” He tried again.

“I mean I know it’s the Plaza, but we could have stayed somewhere else. Just to make sure-”

“Sabrina!” He said louder and threw one of the pretzels he’d been eating at her. It shocked her and she met his eyes, glaring at the interruption in her monologue. “Chill, okay? Everything is going to be fine. You can talk to anyone and make them fall in love with you and I’m charming remember?”

Sabrina rolled her eyes and bit back a smile at his comment, trying not to read into it. 

“I know I’m just nervous.” 

“I know you are.” Nick didn’t try to convince her otherwise. “But also take in the moment when we’re there. You’ve been dreaming of the Plaza forever, and now you get to go to the Gala.” 

“What about you?” She started as she closed her portfolio and focused her attention on him. He squeezed his eyes shut once and smiled softly, knowing it would be impossible for Sabrina Spellman to go on this trip and not ask him how he was. “How are you doing with going to the Plaza.”

“I think I’m gonna be okay.” Nick said honestly. “It’s just a building. And I made it through Roy’s so really I can do anything.” 

“Well I’m here for you, Nick.” She reached over and touched his arm, electricity shooting through her body as it usually did.

“I know, Spellman. Thank you.” He placed his other hand over hers and they stayed like that for a moment before he cleared his throat and they sat back. Sabrina went back to reading her notes and Nick picked up his play once again. But neither could really concentrate on the pages in front of them, both too focused on the heat still lingering where they had touched. 

When they arrived in the city, Nick hailed them easily like a true New Yorker. They checked into their hotel rooms and after Sabrina bugged him enough, they agreed to meet in the cafe to go over notes. They set up a game plan and decided which business owners were worth a shot, and which ones they should just straight up avoid. They shared a lot of laughter and gentle touches and Sabrina could feel the way the tension was building up between them. It was a layer so thick that she could hardly breathe around him.

A few hours before the gala, they escaped to their individual rooms. Due to it being nearly booked and Lilith opting for the cheapest, yet still beautiful, rooms, Nick was a few floors below her. So they agreed to meet outside the upper ballroom in two hours and they’d go in together and start their mission of capturing more clients for their expanding New York brand. 

Sabrina took her time doing her makeup and adjusting her curls after a quick shower. She had somehow managed to zip up her own dress which was good because she didn't want to have to ask Nick in front of people. After putting on her lipstick and slipping on her heels she headed for the ballroom. 

Nick was there waiting for her already and his back was turned to her. At the ding of the elevator she spun around and his face shifted into one of awe. She was sure she looked similarly as she looked at Nick. He looked effortlessly handsome in his tux and bowtie, perfectly tousled curls in all the right places. His gaze drifted over her entire body as she walked to meet him. He didn’t even try to hide his amazement. 

It was as if some designer out there somewhere had Sabrina Spellman in mind when they stitched each piece of fabric together and attached each bead. The dress was absolutely made for her and she wore it effortlessly like a second skin, and looked just as comfortable in it as she does when she’s dressed down in leggings and a giant sweater. Nick thought she looked beautiful then too, lounging around with a headband to hide unwashed hair and a college sweatshirt so old the collar was torn. 

But Sabrina Spellman in that red dress was breathtaking. She moved with a confidence that rivaled the gods and floated across the floor, no hint of hesitation in her four inch heels. Nick thought he might need an inhaler or a stiff drink to stop his brain and lungs from working in overdrive. 

The dress left her collarbone and the nape of her neck exposed and the way it was shining in the dim light of the hotel called out to him. He had already told her she was beautiful more than a few times over the course of their two year friendship. He didn’t think there were adequate words in any language to describe her this night. And it was her exposed neck that he couldn’t keep his eyes off of. It was nearly a year ago at this point but he still remembered what it was like to kiss her there. Every nip and delicate brush of his lips pulled a sound from her that he still heard clear as day as if it were yesterday. His hair itched to be pulled again by her and he wanted to know what else he could make fall from her lips. 

“Spellman.” He stood with his mouth agape and shook his head. “You’re stunning. I have no words.”

“Thank you, Nick.” She answered shyly and tried to hide her blush so she reached over and adjusted his bowtie, despite being placed perfectly. “You look great too.”

They didn’t say anything for a moment, too captivated by each other to speak. His eyes drifted down to her lips and back up to her eyes and when she bit down on her lower one, he nearly kissed her right then. But he refrained and offered her his arm instead, indicating they should probably head inside. 

They sat close at dinner, making small talk with whoever Lara brought over to them. Sabrina managed to hand her card off to a few people and Nick got the cards from a few people as well. Nick placed his hand on the small of her back and brought her to his side when one particular man who walked with an air of arrogance and sleaziness stood too close to her and let his gaze drift to where the dress dipped at her chest. Sabrina noticed the creep right away and folded herself against Nick, placing her hand on his chest and hoped the man got the idea that she was not willing nor available. When the guy got the picture and took his leave she didn’t step away from Nick and instead, pulled him out onto the dance floor. 

She placed one arm on his shoulder and grabbed his hand with the other while his other hand landed respectfully on the high end of her back. They danced flawlessly for one song. Then two. And by the third, her arm hand traveled to wrap around his neck and his hand had been moving up and down in a steady rhythm on her back. They had quit talking and had come closer, and her head was just a breath away from leaning on his shoulder. She felt that tension again, but Harvey popped into her mind. She hadn’t thought of him all day, instead her thoughts had been riddled with what Nick’s reaction to her dress would be. The imagination was only outmatched by his actual reaction, which she still wasn’t over. The song transitioned to something quicker, which saved her from having to make the decision to lean her head down or pull away. 

When they did separate he was still staring at her, and slipped his hands in his pockets. 

“Can I show you something?” He asked her and without hesitation she nodded. He wordlessly grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of the doors to outside. He didn’t let go of her hand until they were outside on the balcony and greeted the night. They were quiet for a few moments before he told her about more adventures with Amalia and abandoning boring parties for the balcony and city lights. She smiled and listened and grabbed his hand again when he looked sad. She told him about the dress and Ambrose’s mom and he listened and wiped a tear from her face when it fell. 

The lights of New York City were dancing off her delicate curls as they leaned against the balcony. It was a little cooler that June night, and when he’d seen her shudder slightly he offered her his jacket without question. She was so stunning against the backdrop of the city and he didn’t want the cold to send them back inside to the party that neither of them wanted to be over, because then the night would end too. Nick thought he might be dreaming when he felt Sabrina lean over and lay her head on his shoulder. A peaceful silence drifted between them that Nick could have spent forever in. 

“Do you miss it? New York?” She whispered and Nick shifted his head to look at her, noticing she had moved too so her chin rested on his shoulders instead. Nick thought about his answer before he gave it as she gazed at him, hanging on his words. A life in the city was a life without Sabrina Spellman, and that wasn’t a life he wanted. 

“Honest answer?” He asked her.

“Always.” She responded immediately. He took a deep breath and smiled.

“No, I don’t think I do.” Her brows furrowed in confusion. Nick seemed like such a city person to her and when he came to Greendale she had always seen the move as temporary. He had too, until he met the girl standing in front of him. “I like my life in Greendale.”  
“More than you liked New York?”

“I like New York. I love New York, and I always will but...I don’t know, I guess things changed. I like going to Cee’s and not only knowing the owner but everyone there. I like walking down mainstreet without worrying about getting hit by a cab.” He looked at her soft smile and decided to be bold. “I like that I’ve found people who care about me. Like my beautiful and annoying coworker who makes going to work fun.” 

Sabrina snorted at his comment but still felt the effect of him calling her beautiful. He thought the sound was adorable, even though she was a little embarrassed. 

“I’m glad you moved to Greendale.” She said simply, still staring up at him.

“Me too.” He breathed out and leaned in. Somewhere in the span of their conversation, they had drifted close to each other. Their noses brushed again as they both paused, wondering if they were going to allow this to happen again. Nick could practically taste the champagne on her lips and he wanted to drink deeply. Their lips had all but brushed when the screech of feedback on a microphone from the inside party scared them and they separated again. It was always something stealing the moment, and Sabrina chalked it up to being divine intervention or fate. Because if she kissed him again, she wouldn’t stop. 

They agreed to head back into the party then, neither of them speaking about the fact they had almost kissed. Again. Sabrina’s heart was beating so loud she didn’t even know if she’d hear him if he did mention it. They gathered and gave a few more cards and bid goodbye to Lara before riding the elevator. Sabrina would be dropped off first, as the ballroom was on the top floor, and she wondered how to say goodnight to him.

To her surprise, he disembarked the elevator with her and walked her to her door. Before she could say anything he spoke, breaking the silence and elevating the tension.

“Do you regret it?” He asked her as he leaned on the wall outside her door. His top buttons were undone and the bow tie lay open around his neck. He looked good.

“Regret what?” She asked curiously as she genuinely couldn’t read his mind at that moment. He looked down once, and nearly didn’t ask but he couldn’t help himself. He had to know.

“Kissing me last year.” Her face reddened at his question and she balanced between her two feet, suddenly feeling unsteady. She knew what she should say, but she also knew that wouldn’t be the truth.

“No.” She let out in a near whisper. She saw his face soften at that. She wasn’t aware that being a regret of hers was one of his biggest fears. He didn’t want her to second guess any of their interactions. Especially that kiss. “Do you?”

“Not one bit.” He said with his gaze intent on her. She held it, refusing to be the one to break the stalemate. He stepped closer to her and spoke again. The cologne he wore, the one she had bought him, was intoxicating and he was overwhelming all of her senses. “What I do regret though is not kissing you on that balcony.”

Sabrina’s eyes widened and she felt her heart pound again, beating against her chest and begging her to grab him and kiss him like they both wanted. She felt exposed there standing in front of him, and knew he was placing the ball in her court. Hesitation mixed with desire wracked through her as she froze, unable to move or speak. He sighed and smiled, tucking hair behind her ear before stepping out of her personal space.

“Goodnight, Spellman.” He told her and spun around, heading in the direction of the elevator. She nodded in response, too wrapped up in the intensity of the moment and the tender way he had brushed her hair back. It wasn’t until he stepped into the elevator that she realized she made a mistake.

She regretted not kissing him too.

So she took off then and bounded down the stairs, the elevator carrying Nick long gone. Sabrina Spellman had never run so fast, even when not in a ballgown or four inch heels. She burst out of the stairwell, panting and heaving, just in time to see the elevator doors open. Nick hadn’t seen her yet and he leaned against the wall in a heap, looking disappointed and tired. 

He straightened up when he finally saw her, shock and confusion in his eyes. She was flushed and her hair was in her eyes and she breathed erratically. Her eyes were wild as they landed in his and she bit her lip once. 

“Spellman?” He questioned gently as he stepped out and onto his floor. He kept considerable distance between them as he wasn’t entirely sure what was going on.

“Get over here.” She nearly growled at him and he saw the hunger in her eyes then, and he was no longer confused. He took the few steps to her and they closed the distance at the same time and in perfect sync. 

He didn’t hesitate this time to kiss her as she wrapped her arms around his neck as his went to her waist. She was fierce in the way she kissed him right there in the hallway, and pulled back for a moment just to whisper _room_ against the breath of his lips.

He fumbled with his key as she kissed him again and they somehow managed to make it inside. Their lips on each other were igniting a fire that had been building inside them for so long. It was like the air being exchanged was finally breathing life into something that had just been begging and scrapping to be set loose. 

Clothes were deposited everywhere, starting with his jacket and shirt and Sabrina explored the new expanse of skin. She had admired his chest so many times last year at Sweetwater, and somehow now it was even more toned. She turned around for him to unzip her dress and he did so carefully, knowing the sentimentality of it. His hands on her body were exploring skin that was completely new to him and it was setting them both on fire. Neither of them could hardly take it and Nick felt himself ready to burst from the inside out. 

Nick didn’t hesitate to touch her everywhere once he laid her dress delicately on the couch. He had led her to the bed at that point and Sabrina thought he might just push her over the edge with his lips on her chest. Sabrina made quick work of finding the latexed protection he had stashed in his wallet when he confirmed he had some, and he groaned from the feel of her rolling it on for him. 

When there were no more layers between them he paused for a moment to make sure. They had been moving a hundred miles an hour between the feverish kisses he’d been giving her and the way her nimble fingers had nearly tore off the buttons from his shirt when she ripped it off. So when he stopped to look at her, he took a deep breath to ensure it was really happening. She was breathtaking beneath him, and felt his heart swell from the adoration and desire pouring out of the look she gave back. He had wanted this from essentially the moment he walked in the boardroom and was captivated by the way she rolled her eyes and pursed her lips. Despite the boyfriend he knew she had, he’d wanted to be with her. And when she kissed him last year that desire had only grown. But in lying there with her at the ready, he wanted to make sure she wanted this too. He placed one more open mouth kiss on her neck before lifting slightly to gaze down at her. 

The shift in his position caused the friction to travel lower and made her release a breathy sigh. Her body hummed with anticipation that was stronger than anything she’d ever felt as he hovered over her. She hadn’t even felt this way her first time or even the first time it was actually good. Back then she was nervous and worried she’d screw it up. Now, with Nick staring down at her with an intensity and heat that could rival the sun, she wasn’t nervous. The desire and longing in his eyes was laced with a silent question, and she answered it with a kiss. She grasped his curls at the back of his head and pulled him back down to her, desperate to have his lips on hers again. She pushed all thoughts and lingering guilt aside and gave in to what she had been craving for two years. 

“Nick, please.” She nearly begged against his lips. The ask made him bite down on her lip with force which emboldened her again. The passion between them returned after the short pause and she reached between them to guide him to her. He groaned at the feel of being between her dainty fingers as the heat from her palm felt as though it was going to burn through the thin layer of latex that separated them.

With a hot, open mouthed kiss to those lips he couldn’t get enough of, he pushed into her in one swift movement. She was ready for him. And he had been ready for her from the moment the elevator door opened and she was standing outside of it, panting and red faced from running down the stairs, and looked at him with her inviting eyes. 

“Fuck.” Nick said against her mouth still, coming out more like a groan than coherent words.

Sabrina actually groaned, a sound she didn’t recognize coming from her own lips. It was a sound so fulfilled and satisfied, and yet not at all as the way Nick filled her was only a taste of what was to come. And her body wanted more. 

“ _Nick.”_ Sabrina groaned again in the shape of his name as he began to move with purpose. 

His brain was clouded with desire and the feel of her around him. No one’s body had ever accepted him quite like she did and he was hitting places in her that she didn’t even know existed. 

They found a steady rhythm and he continued to kiss her everywhere he could reach. Her lips. Her jaw. Her Neck. The dip between her breasts. 

Waves of pleasure flowed through her as she moaned and gasped and whimpered, noises she didn’t even know she was capable of making. She had wondered what it would be like to be with Nicholas Scratch in this way for so long, and reality was shattering anything she had ever come up with. With every staggered exhale that was released from their mouths, new galaxies were breathed into existence. They saw golden, picture perfect worlds that Nick had never seen before, that Sabrina had only read about and were simply fairy tales. There was an unadulterated sense of want, of need. Of desire and of being desired. Both were true and neither outmatched the other. She had never moved in as perfect sync as she was with Nick, as they led each other further down the path and further messed up the line in the sand. The waves of pleasure they were riding were destroying it anyways. 

His pace became erratic and quick as he was coming close to the edge. He instinctively knew she was close too, by the way her nails scratched deeper into his shoulder and her breathing picked up. 

The push over came unexpectedly and she felt like she was free falling and every single inch of her body was electrified, set on fire and completely consumed by Nick. Her final gasp of his name was quieter, as if the very breath in her lungs had been stolen by his lips on her. The airy way she had said it sent him tumbling after her as he called out her own name breathlessly. 

They were a mess of limbs, hands in hair and lips on necks when they finished, still riding the high for several minutes. Nick hadn’t rolled off of her and she didn’t want him to. She welcomed the weight of him above her. They didn’t speak, but words weren’t necessary at that moment. They had always known what the other was thinking and in bed, bathing in each other’s afterglow was no different. She thanked the kisses he was still placing on her neck by running his fingers through his curls. 

Finally when exhaustion threatened to over take them, Nick pulled out and laid beside her. He liked the feeling of her beneath him, but figured that would be a terrible way to sleep. He thought she may even have had no intention of staying and would slip out of his room anyways, but to his surprise she folded herself into his arms and laid her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and found comfort with her there. She was comfortable too and ignored the thoughts again that told her she should just go back to her room. Having sex with Nick was one thing and it would be harder to tell herself it didn’t mean anything if she stayed the night and slept in his arms. But she fit so perfectly there and she was so tired, and she was so comfortable. So she fell asleep before she could change her mind, and lazily kissed his chest once. He followed suit soon after she did, after placing a gentle kiss to her hair. He hoped she’d still be there when they woke up. But he wouldn’t hold his breath. Sabrina wasn’t his girl, as much as he wanted her to be.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooooooo here we are folks.  
> The Illicit Affair (well the sexual part) has officially begun. It's gonna be a ride.
> 
> Nick had a girlfriend (briefly) because I couldn't let him go a whole fic not dating anyone, being the casanova he is. But it didn't last long. Not when his girl is Sabrina.
> 
> I really loved writing Sabrina and Ambrose in this scene and instead of Sabrina wearing her mom's dress I thought Ambrose's Mom's as a nice change. 
> 
> The title of this chapter is based on the song Duet by Penny and Sparrow. Check it out, it's great.
> 
> Anyways let me know what you thought!


	8. Chapter 8: after the beautiful room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the morning and the week after...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I realized last chapter Sabrina was looking through a closet for a dress when she didn't live at the mortuary anymore...oops.
> 
> Went back and fixed that!

**Chapter 8**

**after the beautiful room**

When Sabrina slowly blinked her eyes open the next morning her body ached. Images flashed through her mind of arching underneath fiery touches. It didn’t take long for her to realize she was still naked as was the person behind her. An arm was wrapped around her waist, warmth radiating from it through her body and finding a home in her heart. She could feel his slow breaths tickling her neck and it brought a small smile to her lips. 

Nick.

She slowly turned around so she was facing him, his grip on her waist loosening as she moved and then tightened when she scooted closer. Their faces were close as she gazed at him. She used to observe him back when they were sharing an office, stealing glances here and there so he wouldn’t notice. She’d grown to admire his dark eyes and how when he was looking at something he liked or when the light hit them just right, gold flecks appeared in pools of brown. His lips were usually flipped upward and sideways just slightly, and his brow furrowed when he concentrated. When she looked at him now he looked at peace, the tiniest hint of a snore coming from his mouth.

She couldn’t resist anymore and began to trace those places with her fingers, touching featherlight like a gentle breeze, a whisper against his skin. She grazed his forehead where curls always seemed to drift on, down the bridge of his nose, those lips she’d had so much fun kissing, and his jaw, which was as chiseled as they come. He’d always been handsome to her. But something about waking up naked in his arms brought him to a whole new level in her eyes. She didn’t want that moment to end, and she wanted to experience the mind blowing pleasure he had given her again. Yet when they went back to Greendale she knew they’d forget all about the previous night and move on just like they had every other time they’d crossed a line.

Except she could never forget how he felt to be worshiped by him. 

As she continued her explorations of his face a soft smile appeared. He let out a soft groan and opened one of his eyes.

“Good morning, Spellman.” His voice was gruff and deep and it made her blush.

“Good morning, Nick.” She answered him as she ran her hand through his curls. “We should probably get up and greet the day. We have a train to catch.”

“It’s far too early.” Nick said, still lying there with one eye open.

“Says the guy who always gets to the office before me.  _ With  _ coffee.” She teased him with a giggle as he chuckled in return. 

“That’s different.” He opened both eyes and then looked at her. They were both lying on their sides, memories of the previous night running through their heads making them both nearly delirious at the images. “You’re telling me you want to get out of bed?” He reached over and brushed the hair out of her eyes. The gentle contact made her shiver and only served as a reminder of the not so gentle way he’d touched her just a few hours ago.

“I didn’t say that.” She scrunched her nose. “But I should shower and get ready...”. She faded off. 

She was surprised at how not awkward it was between them. She didn’t exactly know what to expect waking up like this, but part of her expected them to stumble on their words and ignore it all. But just like always conversation came easy and Nick didn’t hesitate to touch her. Though it wasn’t without tension. Even the soothing way he touched her cheek served as a match strike that nearly set them both off again. 

“Would you do me a favor?” Sabrina asked him while her eyes shined as she tried to bury the lust in them that was rising once again to the surface. Whatever she was about to ask he knew he would say yes. He nodded and leaned down and pecked her lips once to prove it. She shuddered at the contact and bit her lip stave it. When he pulled away she gazed up at him and he stared back eagerly, still awaiting her request. In a quiet voice she asked, “Will you run to my hotel room and get me a change of clothes?” 

Nick chuckled and kissed her again, simply not being able to stop now that she’d given him an opening. 

“Of course, Spellman.” He moved to get out of bed then, walking with purpose to find a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. She admired his naked form as he moved about the room. She caught all the places she had touched and tasted the previous night, and suddenly missed the feel of him over her. When he was dressed and had run a hand through his curls he leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “You go shower and I’ll bring back your clothes and some coffee.”

When he tried to lift up she stopped him by grabbing a fist-full of his t-shirt. His eyebrows flicked up and he could only describe her gaze as devilishly sweet.

“Or...you could hurry up and grab my clothes and get coffee. And I could wait a few minutes to shower and you...well you could join me.” 

Nick’s throat tightened at her suggestion. He had seen most of her last night, and he had certainly felt her whole body. But they were both too caught up in the passion and waves of pleasure to truly take her all in. Getting a second chance to be with her was never something he’d expected, but wanted from the first time she had gasped out his name. 

“Sabrina-are you sure?” He asked her. She hadn’t freaked out after their night together like he’d expected her to and he’d allowed her to kiss her that morning. But a shower together? That seemed too good to be true. 

“Nick.” She took a deep breath as her gaze grew tender and she ran a hand through his messy curls. She moved to sit up on the bed, pulling him down to join her. The sheet fell away from her chest but he kept his eyes on hers, trying to be respectful. “I think I speak for both of us when I say that we’ve both wanted this for a long time.” Nick’s small smirk confirmed her suspicions. “And right now we’re in a beautiful hotel room in New York enjoying each other’s company and...when we go home we’ll have to go back to our normal lives like it didn’t happen and leave this perfect,” She reached up and caressed his face. “Wonderful,  _ amazing _ bubble. Let’s enjoy it while we can.” 

Nick’s heart dropped a little bit. So last night didn’t change anything. He thought it might have changed everything but he could see the powerful girl in front of him in his bed wasn’t ready yet. She needed to leave this incredible weekend here in New York, tucked away like a fond memory captured in a crinkled polaroid photo. But it was one they could both look back on. He hoped she didn’t catch his change in demeanor, so he nodded and kissed her softly to hide it. When he pulled away she pulled him back in, not satisfied with how he had been holding himself back. 

She connected their lips again, this kiss tinged with heat and promise for what would be waiting for him when he returned. When she sent him on his way to retrieve her things and after she found another condom in his wallet, she laid back in bed and sighed deeply. She focused on Nick and the way he had worked her in ways she had only dreamed of. She focused on the way he sighed her name against her skin and left behind her own marks on his back. She intentionally pushed away the guilt she felt if she dared think about Harvey, and instead focused on the man who would bring her her favorite loungewear and iced coffee, plopping it in the fridge before carrying her off to the shower and make her feel hotter than the water itself. 

Later when it was time to leave Nick kissed Sabrina long and hard one last time when he picked her up at her hotel room and the way she bit his lip nearly made him push her back into her room and forget all about the train they had tickets for in an hour. They shared a few longing stares as they sat across from each other on the train and about halfway through she switched sides so she could sit next to him. They weren’t in New York anymore and it wasn’t quite the intimacy they’d shared the night before, but Sabrina tucked herself into his side, grabbing one hand and encouraging him to wrap his arm around her. He obliged and held her close the rest of the way, soaking in her vanilla scent as she laid her head on his shoulder. They said nothing, and once again they didn’t need to, just enjoying the last few moments before real life came rushing at them. 

As the Springdale Train Station came into view Sabrina’s phone pinged, notifying her that 

Harvey was there in his red truck and waiting for her. Nick couldn’t help but read it and his body went rigid at the reminder of the man that had Sabrina’s heart, despite the way she’d given him her body last night. Sabrina noticed his change and pulled herself from his side and moved back to her seat across from him. As the train rolled to a stop he helped her get her bag from the overhead and when he went to head out she grabbed his arm, indicating him to wait. They allowed the other passengers to get out first as she addressed the weirdness that had settled in around them. 

“Nick, we’re okay right?” She asked as she raised her eyebrows. She bit her lip nervously too and despite the pain in Nick’s chest at the likelihood he'd have to see Sabrina kiss her boyfriend hello in a few minutes, he wanted to reassure her. 

“We’re fine, Spellman.” She opened her mouth to say something else but he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, just brushing them across her knuckles. “A beautiful weekend in a beautiful room. That’s what it was.” 

He felt the lie fall off of his lips like he was spitting out gravel but plastered on a smile anyways. Her own smile didn’t reach her eyes but she squeezed the hand he still held and started making her way outside.  She didn’t think that was all it was either, but decided to put her focus in the goofy-smiling and floppy haired Harvey Kinkle who was honking his horn at them as they stepped off the train. 

“There’s my city girl!” Harvey called as he honked the horn one more time and hopped out of his truck. A sharp pain shot through Nick’s heart at the sound of Harvey calling her  _ his girl.  _ But that’s who she was. Harvey’s. Despite the fact that she melted like putty in his arms. 

Nick had to look away when Harvey pulled her in for a quick kiss. He’d seen them kiss before and he figured it looked like it usually did, bland and friendly.

“How’s it going, Scratch?” Harvey asked Nick in a kind but cautious way as he grabbed Sabrina’s suitcase and garment bag. Harvey had always gotten the sense that Nick Scratch didn’t like him or at least dealt with him for Sabrina’s sake. So he would deal right back, knowing how much his girlfriend cared about her coworker.

“Pretty good, Kinkle.” Nick nodded and pressed his lips together. All he could think about was getting back home and away from the guy that Sabrina was choosing over him. Sabrina felt the tension too, and shot Nick a pleading look. “You?”

“Better now that this one is home.” He turned and nuzzled his nose against Sabrina’s. Nick had to swallow down a gag. Sabrina too, wasn’t fond of it. Usually she’d be bursting with happiness if Harvey had been the one to initiate public affection. But in that moment and in front of Nick, it felt wrong. “You need a ride, man?” Harvey asked Nick.

“Nah, I’m good thanks.”

“Oh right, Lizzie’s probably coming to get you.” He nudged Nick with his elbow. “I’m sure she missed ya.”

“Ummm…”. Nick moved to scratch the back of his head as Sabrina saved him.

“They broke up, Harvey.” She said forcefully and with annoyance. “Months ago.”

“Damn. Sorry, dude, I didn’t know.”

“Yes you did, I told you.” Sabrina said and Nick wished she’d just drop it. That or the ground would open up and swallow him whole. He’d never been a fan of the dirt, but he could learn to love it so long as it got him out of this conversation. Harvey and Sabrina continued to bicker, Sabrina saying he was never around and him saying he was always tired from work. 

“Anyways.” Nick said, straightening up and taking their slight pause in arguing as his chance to leave. “I drove here so I’m gonna go. See ya, Kinkle.” He shook the miner’s hand goodbye because despite it all, his mother taught him to be a gentleman. When he turned to Sabrina her gaze was unreadable but he swore there was a layer of longing just below the surface of whatever mask she was trying to put on. His eyes didn’t leave hers as he gave her a small bow. “Spellman. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye, Nick.” She said a little breathlessly and when Harvey turned to put her things in his truck he winked and walked away, leaving her blushing and bothered and craving his lips on her skin again. She kissed Harvey again to distract herself before hopping in his truck. But it didn’t really work. Not even a little. 

-

Prudence called a meeting with the marketers to discuss a new consent form she’d develop that adds an extra layer of legal protection for the company. The meeting had been held in Nick’s office and had taken up way more time than she’d planned. Melvin had asked question after question to ensure he understood and Nick asked stupid ones just to piss her off while Sabrina’s annoying giggles rang though her ear. When it was finally over though due to exhaustion and an overwhelm of idiocracy, she couldn’t bring herself to make the short walk back to her office. The scene in front of her was far too interesting anyways. 

Prudence eyed the two from where she was sinking further in the plush chair in Nick’s office. Sabrina brushed a chunk of her hair behind her ear in attempts to hide the redness that formed in her cheeks at something Nick had said. He was smiling at her, as he usually did around Sabrina, and Prudence narrowed her eyes in scrutiny as she realized something was different about them. And she knew exactly what it was.

“Oh my God, you two had sex.” 

At her comment Sabrina shot up, her spine straightening as the red on her face transformed into something deeper as her eyes widened. She opened her mouth a few times and stared at Nick who looked surprised and a little bit scared. 

“What-no. What are you talking about?” Sabrina tried to say. Prudence just threw her head back in laughter at Sabrina. Prudence had teased her mercilessly in high school for what she thought was prudish behavior. Today, Prudence was rather impressed with the girl. 

“Oh please.” Prudence rolled her eyes. “There’s always been a haze of sexual tension between you two and now you practically reek of following through with it.”

“You told her didn’t you.” Sabrina grumbled at Nick. The fact that anyone had picked up on their attraction was impossible. In her mind, they were good at hiding it. 

“No way, Spellman. I didn’t say a word.” Nick defended, holding his hands up and everything to fend off an attack. “You’ve known Prudence longer than I have. So you know she can basically read minds.”

“Especially when it comes to sex and debauchery.” Prudence teased which nearly sent Sabrina running from the room. She couldn’t take the smug look from Prudence or the tension building between her and Nick from just  _ talking  _ about their extraordinary night in New York City. She could barely get it off her mind without Prudence shoving it back in her face. 

“Prudence-” Sabrina started to warn with a cross of her arms. Prudence knew what Sabrina was about to say. And even though Prudence loved to rattle Sabrina, she’d learned a long time ago that Ambrose would take his cousin’s side and Prudence was far too tired of being cut off by Ambrose when she pushed her too far. Prudence held up her hands to stop Sabrina’s rambling in its tracks. She didn't have the energy to hear one of her arguments today.

“Chill out, I’m not going to say anything.” Prudence couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the action of Sabrina narrowing hers. “I swear it. I love seeing things crash and burn, but believe it or not Sabrina? I don’t want you to get hurt.” 

Sabrina’s anger and embarrassment dissipated just a little, but she didn’t uncross her arms. She figured some of Prudence’s reasoning had come from the fact that her cousin tended to withhold sex whenever Prudence was especially bitchy. 

“Pru.” Nick warned now, and Prudence’s gaze flickered over to Nick. His glare was steely and served as a confirmation that he didn’t want anyone to know either.

“Dear Lord, I promise, you two.” She held her hands up in the air. “Your sex life is your business.” 

A few moments of loaded silence filled the room again as Sabrina’s face reddened. Her sex life had only consisted of Nick since Valentine’s Day, and her mind was flooded with that night in New York. The two of them in bed. In the shower. And then perched on the bathroom sink afterwards, Nick’s head between her legs because he just couldn’t get enough. She suddenly felt warm at the thought of him there, eagerly staring up at her and asking for permission. Sabrina could count on one hand the number of times Harvey had gone down on her in the course of their relationship. He didn’t like doing it, and he was never really any good at it anyways. But it hadn’t taken Nick long to send her head spinning and mouth gasping again. 

Deep in her thoughts, Sabrina knew at that moment, with both Nick and Prudence staring at her, that she had to get out before she did something she’d regret. Like throw a stapler at Prudence or ask Nick to push her against the wall right then and there.

“I have a meeting.” Sabrina said suddenly and out of the blue, and hopped off of where she was seated on Nick’s desk. Nick eyed her like she was crazy and she thought she must be if she was considering sleeping with Nick again. “I’ll see you later.” 

“Spellman.” Nick tried.

“I’ll see you later.” She repeated before scurrying out of the room like she was trying to get out of being in trouble. 

When she was gone, Nick didn’t look at Prudence. He knew what her face would say and he didn’t want to hear it. He ignored her stares for a few moments before he couldn’t take it anymore. He placed his pen down and pressed his lips together before finally looking up to meet her eyes.

“Nicky-” She began but Nick cut her off.

“Prudence, don’t.” Prudence didn’t have the same hesitation to tell Nick off, knowing he likely needed to hear what she had to say anyways.

“What are you doing, Nick?”

“I’m not talking about this.” He didn’t look up from her papers.

“Fine don’t talk. Listen then.” She nearly growled and shot up from her seat. “I tolerate Sabrina because of her cousin, and sometimes? She isn’t half bad. But Nick. This isn’t a good idea. Nick dropped his pen but didn’t say anything. “She’s dating Kinkle and that isn’t going to change. You’re just going to end up hurt.”

Nick took a deep breath and threw on a mask, completely unwilling to let Prudence see the impact of her words.   
“It was one night Prudence. It didn’t mean anything.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it, Nicky. You have been in love with her-”

“Don’t.” Nick warned and finally looked at her. His gaze meant business and he desperately wanted her to drop it. He wasn’t about to let Prudence be the first one to say that he loved Sabrina. Not when he’d never said it and hadn’t even admitted it to himself yet. His eyes turned pleading and Prudence saw the pain in her old friend’s eyes. Anything she’d tell him, he likely knew already. Sabrina Spellman wouldn’t be leaving Harvey Kinkle anytime soon. “I just-I can’t have that conversation, Pru.” Nick whispered and it was the most honest he’d been in a while. 

“Just be careful, Nicky.” Prudence said at last as she placed her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I don’t get hurt, Pru.” Nick faked a smile that Prudence saw right through. “Besides it won’t happen again.”

Nick knew that was true, as much as it pained him. New York at the Plaza would stay there, those feelings and cries in pleasure wouldn’t bleed into Greendale as much as he wanted it too.

Prudence hid the rolling of her eyes as she walked out. She knew that it would happen again. And that what would happen in the end would crush him. It was inevitable.

-

Roz was over and flipping through a magazine as Sabrina dug through her shirts and skirts, searching for the perfect one. Her mind drifted between Nick and Harvey as she looked at the different patterns and textures in front of her. Nick, who seemed to always know what to say and had kissed her so soundly she could still feel it tingling on her lips and down to her very core. Harvey, who was her very first kiss ever and had held her hand and stood by her for nearly ten years. The one who at seven years old Sabrina had sworn on a penny in a fountain she was going to marry. Harvey, who was picking her up in about an hour for a date. 

“I’m so jealous of you, Brina.” Roz said with a flick of her wrist to flip the page of her magazine. The sound pulled Sabrina from her racing train of thoughts, and she was glad for the distraction.

“Why is that, Roz?” She asked as she held up two skirts, one black and leather, the other a soft purple. Roz pointed to the leather one, knowing her friend liked to be a little edgy these days. Sabrina didn’t know what she could be jealous of, surely it wasn’t her recent infidelity with the handsome Nicholas Scratch. Despite the guilt, Sabrina couldn’t bring herself to regret it. But Roz didn’t know about that, and never would, so it had to be something else.

“You have this wonderful place all to yourself and I still live with my parents.” 

“I told you you could move in.” Sabrina slipped her heels on after putting on her skirt. “I have the extra room.”

“But where would your books go?” Roz teased, scrunching her nose over the top of the magazine as she looked up. Roz knew Sabrina’s love of books didn’t trump the love she had for her best friend, but really she had a lot of them. Roz moving in would complicate things. “Also I can’t. Mom needs me to help take care of dad.” 

Sabrina nodded in support. Roz’s parents were older, and her dad had been sick and weakening for a while. She had to stay at home right now to help with him and make sure the home ran smoothly, in between class and work of course. 

“Well the offer still stands. Always.”

“Thanks, girl. But I’m sure Harvey will move in here eventually and I don’t want to be a perpetual third wheel.”

Sabrina nearly snorted at the suggestion.

“Roz, I don’t think that’s happening anytime soon.”

“Oh please, like the two of you aren’t getting married.” Roz said playfully and Sabrina’s heart tugged. Harvey had invited her out for an “important dinner” where he said he had “important” things to discuss. 

Was he proposing tonight?

Did Roz know something Sabrina didn’t?

Would she say yes?

She’d wanted this for forever.

_ Could  _ she say yes?

When her dreams at night and during the day had been plagued with a head of coal colored curls between her legs and a smirk kissing every inch of her body.

Suddenly Sabrina was nervous. And excited. And confused.

She decided a proposal was exactly what she needed to get Nick out of her head and find her footing with Harvey once more. What was more romantic than an engagement? Certainly she’d whisk him home afterwards and their dry spell would end, and it would be perfectly and undoubtedly fine.

“I guess you’re right.” Sabrina blushed at the thought of Harvey down on one knee. “Do you know something?”

“Brina I’ve barely talked to Harvey all month.” She held up her hands in defense. “Besides he’d tell Theo not me. But it’s about time don’t you think?”

“Yeah.” Sabrina said smiling as she peeked down at her hand, imagining a ring there. “It’s definitely about damn time.” 

“What time is he coming?” 

Sabrina looked at the clock on her wall, the one she told Nick to move about 100 times before it was in the perfect place. She pushed down thoughts of him and how he made her body hum. 

She was getting engaged tonight.

“In about an hour.”

“So we have time for wine?” Roz sat up and closed the magazine, and pulled a bottle of rosè out of her purse. With a giggle Sabrina took it from her hands, unscrewed it and gulped a sip down.

“Always.”

Harvey arrived exactly fifty-five minutes later, always early as she hated tardiness, dressed in his nicest slacks and shirt. He handed her a bouquet of flowers that Roz grabbed to find a vase for. With a wink and a promise to feed Salem before she left, Roz sent the two off. 

“You look really pretty, Brina.” Harvey said as he cast a glance at her from where he sat in his truck. His hand was on her knee again and he was smiling goofily.

“Thanks, Harvey.” Sabrina answered as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. This exact conversation and scene had played out many times before in their life and while it didn’t set her on fire, she still felt warm. “You look nice too. I’m glad we got to do this. I’ve missed you.”

An unreadable expression passed across Harvey’s face. His eyes darkened for a brief moment before his smile was back, though not quite as prominent.

“Me too, Brina. I’ve missed you too.” 

The rest of the ride to the restaurant was quiet, Harvey asking a few questions about her trip to New York the previous weekend. She tried to keep it vague because if she thought too hard about her trip in the city she may just blurt out what she had done and  _ whom  _ she had done it with.

He ended up taking her to a fancier restaurant in Riverdale which explained his dressed up look and her instructions to not wear jeans. It only further confirmed that she was getting engaged tonight. She had only wished she had had a chance to get her nails done or something, her previous manicure slightly chipping. 

He ordered a bottle of wine, white when she preferred red, but she was too excited to care. He never ordered a bottle for the table as he usually sipped on a cheap beer. So the fact that he had bought wine at all was enough to make her stomach flutter. It was times like this when he fumbled nervously and ordered wine just for her, even if it’s the wrong kind, that she was reminded of the Harvey Kinkle she fell in love with. The one before they both settled into complacency and where he used to make grand gestures. Lately his grandest gesture was sending her a voice memo instead of a text. Well except for tonight anyways. 

Her body was buzzing all through dinner as she hung on his every word. He seemed nervous, and she didn’t think he needed to be. They had been dating for ten years and were each other’s first everythings. Nick had been good.  _ So good.  _ But tonight was confirming for her that Harvey was the one. She was finishing up her tiramisu when she thought he was finally going to ask her.

“So there’s something I wanted to talk to you about, Brina.”

“Yes?” She asked, sliding forward on her chair and setting down her fork.

“I know I’ve been gone a lot and that isn’t easy for you.”

“We make it work.” She smiles and he does too, but he still looks nervous. 

Here it comes, she thinks. He’s gonna tell her that he always wants to come home to her, that he wants forever and it doesn’t matter how far he goes as long as she’s there when he returns.

She thinks he’ll tell her that he’s taking a year off from traveling so they can plan the wedding. 

But he doesn’t say any of those things and what he does say, Sabrin was not expecting and tuned out much of it after he said the words “new set of mines.”

“So I’m gonna be gone for the rest of the Summer. It’s a huge set of mines with the potential of carving out a bunch of shafts that haven’t even been touched yet.” 

So he wasn’t proposing.

He was leaving.

“So you brought me out to a fancy dinner in Riverdale…”. She started calmly, trying her best not to let her anger and disappointment show. “To tell me you’re leaving.”

“Well I was hoping we could celebrate.” Harvey shrugged. “It’s a huge opportunity to bring tons of new money in. Kinkle could be the major player in the mining industry.” He leaned back in his chair and tossed his fancy cloth napkin on the table in a huff. “I thought you’d be happy for me.”

“I am happy for you.” Sabrina defended and crossed her arms. She was happy for him, but she was also pissed and embarrassed that she thought she was leaving with a ring on her finger. Instead she was leaving with the knowledge that her boyfriend would once again be gone. “But I’m also upset that you’ll be gone. All Summer. You just got back.”

“I know, I know.” Harvey sighed and looked at her with puppy dog eyes. “We’re just running on so much momentum right now. Tommy’s gotta run the new mines in Springdale and dads got the ones here. It’s really incredible that he’s trusting me with this.”

“Where are you going?” She asked him as she sipped her wine. This time she didn’t hide her distaste.

“Kentucky.” 

“Kentucky?” Sabrina breathed out and pursed her lips together. She closed her eyes for a moment and decided to let go of the image she had in her head for this night. He wasn’t going to pull a  _ gotcha  _ and take a ring out of his pocket. He wasn’t going to propose to make the sting of him leaving less severe. No, he was just leaving and she had to accept that. With a sigh she opened her eyes to see the boy she had loved forever. She smiled at him and raised her glass, and swallowed the lump in her throat. “Congrats, Harvey. I really am happy for you.” 

“Thank you. Summer will be over before you know it.”

When he dropped her off that night he offered to come in but she denied him, simply not in the mood to entertain. She was upset with him and even though he was leaving in two days, she had no desire to spend the night with him. She was emotionally exhausted and fed up with tonight. So she slipped into comfy clothes and poured herself a glass of wine, red of course, and flipped on some mindless TV. A commercial for Lana’s boutique, one she and Nick had written together, flashed across the screen and suddenly her heart warmed.

And down the rabbit hole she went as she couldn’t help herself from going over that night and tonight and how different it would have been if Nick had been the one sitting across from her. He wouldn’t have ordered white wine for starters, but she could feel in her bones without a doubt that he wouldn’t leave her for the whole Summer. He would find a way to make it work. He wouldn’t go four months without making love to her. He could barely go twelve hours without bringing her over the edge three times. And she knew without a doubt that Nick would have picked up on her subtle change on the way home, the disappointment hidden in her brown eyes, and not given up when Sabrina said she was fine.

Before she could change her mind she was sipping the last of her wine, she’d only had one glass, and was out the door. Her mind was on autopilot as she made the drive to his house. She didn’t know what she was going to say when she got there or what would happen. She just knew she wanted to see him and a tension had built up so tightly wound in her body that a simple brush of the hand could make her explode. She was out of her car and banging on the door, her mind working a million miles an second, and it wasn’t long before Nick was opening it wide-eyes and shirtless. 

The image struck Sabrina speechless as she suddenly realized where she was, what she was doing. Nick looked at her just as clueless, as if a panting Sabrina Spellman on the other side of a door was something he thought he’d never see again.

“Sabrina?” He narrowed his eyes at her in a concerned way. “Are you okay?”

“Can I come in?” Sabrina asked and didn’t give him a chance to answer as she barged in. She walked straight to his living room and sat on the couch, and picked up the glass of bourbon she assumed was his. He just sat next to her and didn’t say anything for a moment. She glued her eyes to the books on his wall as opposed to his chest as he breathed calmly, eyeing her to ensure she didn’t break. 

“Harvey’s leaving.” She blurted out and for a moment anger flashed over his face. But it was quickly replaced with concern as his brows furrowed. “For the whole summer.”

“Why?” Nick asked as he turned towards her. 

“New mines.” She’d been avoiding his eyes but finally looked up. “In Kentucky.”

“Damn.” Nick answered. “And you guys are?...”. He didn’t dare let himself hope.

“We’re still together.” She blurted out, trying to ignore where his mind was going. 

“And you’re here because?” He had to ask. He had to know why she’d shown up out of the blue after an obvious silent fight with Harvey, red faced and messy haired once again. 

“Good question.” Sabrina shrugged and tried to joke. A charged moment passed between them as Sabrina eyed the way he swallowed heavily. Her body was working of its own accord then as she leaned into doing what she had come here to do. What she’d been thinking about for a week now. She’d just brushed his lips with hers when he pulled back.

“Sabrina…”. He whispered against her lips but his eyes were shut tightly. He wanted this too. So much.

“Nick…”. She whispered back. He could smell red wine mixed with bourbon on her lips and the vanilla body scrub she liked to use after a bath. “Please...I want to feel. I  _ need  _ to feel you.”

He couldn’t deny her pleading and when he opened his eyes he saw a longing and desire in hers so strong and piercing it nearly hurt as he leaned closer. 

He captured her lips with his then with a fire she’d never experienced, burning more intensely than their weekend in New York. He stood as she wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her with ease to his bedroom, his lips never lifting from her skin. He knew it was wrong and that the girl in his arms might break his heart. 

But in that moment she felt so good. And nothing had ever felt more right. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So our girl Sabrina couldn't get enough...and Nick well, he can't either. Harvey NEARLY proposed but nope, he's just going away for the Summer. I had to get him out of our hair a bit and make it easier for Nick and Sabrina to sneak around now that they clearly can't keep their hands off of each other. Nick is in denial about how he feels but he knows this is risky and Sabrina just wants to feel good. The question is, did she really want to be engaged to Harvey? We shall see...
> 
> Next chapter we have more sneaking around, some work escapades and a family BBQ.


	9. Chapter 9: breath before the kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of Nabrina, some Nambrose and Prudence/Sabrina.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took forever and I'm sorry. I really planned to be done with this fic before part 4 but obviously I lied again and that's not happening. The holidays and vacation got the best of me and this chapter is out late. 
> 
> Anyways, remember this fic is rated M. It's not a super explicit chapter but there are blatant and direct conversations about sex.

**Chapter 9:**

**breath before the kiss**

* * *

Sabrina stopped at home to change and grab the lemon pound cake Hilda had made for her not too long ago. Sabrina remembered that particular kind was Prudence’s favorite cake and she figured it was the least she could do for her help. It had taken Sabrina a few hours to drag herself out of the comfort of Nick’s bed, but an appointment with Prudence was one she could not be late for. She missed a call from Harvey as she quickly put on comfier clothes and made a mental note to contact him later. 

Before he’d left, Harvey had tried to be intimate but she’d turned him down. She’d blamed it on being tired and starting her period. And with honesty she’d told him she wasn’t in the mood because she was still upset with him. Part of it also had to do with the fact that she’d had sex with Nick the day before Harvey left, and it didn’t seem right to her to jump into bed with him. She didn’t really want to either, knowing that she’d likely have to fake it after all the places Nick had taken her. 

It had been a hard goodbye, but the annoyance over his leave of absence dampened the hurt a bit and made sending Harvey off for the Summer a bit easier. Texting Nick to come over and coming undone over and over in the shower and in her bed had helped too. 

He didn’t question anything, he just showed up when she asked with a bottle of wine and a deep kiss in her doorway. They hadn’t even made it past the kitchen before she was calling out his name the first time. By the time they had finished the bottle she’d lost count of his kisses and groans, and she escaped into the blissful pocket of pleasure they were forming and ignored the guilt that was lying just below the surface. 

Harvey had been gone about a week when Sabrina and Prudence met in the latter’s living room. Despite their hostile nature, Prudence had been helping Sabrina look into the legality of the company for years. They had been doing so right under Lilith’s nose, and Prudence had called Sabrina in for an update. 

Prudence had made tea for Sabrina, a bourbon for herself, as she explained that Lilith had buried the truth somewhere in mounds of paperwork. Prudence dug into the pound cake Sabrina brought and began to explain. 

“It’s like each document I get my hand on references two or three new ones that I’ve never seen. She’s definitely covering something up.”

“Can you uncover it?” Sabrina asked eagerly, her excitement and anger at Lilith getting the better of her. Prudence rolled her eyes and nearly growled in response. 

“I have a real job, you know. One that I’m risking to help you.” Sabrina took a deep breath and mumbled an apology. “It’ll take time, more time than I have, to figure it all out. I’ll do my best but I can’t make any promises, Sabrina. My best suggestion is hiring a lawyer to focus solely on it.”

“I don’t trust anyone else.” Sabrina said on instinct. It was true. She didn’t consider her and Prudence to be best friends, didn’t see them painting nails or gossiping about boys anytime soon, but she trusted her. And the boy gossip might have more to is with that she was dating Ambrose and Sabrina was  _ not  _ going to talk to Prudence about whose bed Sabrina woke up in that morning. Especially when it was certainly not her own.

“I’ll keep going as is then.” Prudence said slightly awkward. Sabrina would never admit the tiniest affection she felt for Prudence and Prudence would deny she liked Sabrina until the day she died. And likely even after that too. 

“Thank you. I really appreciate you helping me all these years. Having my back.”

“Don’t mention it.” Prudence answered, sipping her drink and then eyeing Sabrina seriously. “I mean don’t actually mention it. To anyone.”

“Don’t worry, Prudence.” Sabrina chuckled. “I wouldn’t dream of letting anyone know you tolerate me.” 

The two women shared a small smile. Prudence was still leery of Sabrina’s involvement with Nick, worrying that her friend would get hurt. But she would begrudgingly admit that Sabrina wasn’t too bad. And that wasn’t just because Ambrose so desperately wanted the two to get along. 

“So how are things with Ambrose?” Sabrina asked, sipping on her tea which had gone a little cold. 

“No.” Prudence shook her head. “Nope we're not going there. Unless you want to talk about Nicholas.”

“Absolutely not.” 

“Fine.” Prudence snapped. The irritable air between them returned. Sabrina was grateful for it. Prudence being nice to her was weird. A loud banging on her door drew Prudence’s eyes to the foyer. “Jesus, finally.” 

“Finally?” Sabrina asked, her interest piqued. 

Prudence got up to answer the door and the sound of his voice sent chills up her spine and brought a blush to her face immediately.

“Nick.” Sabrina said and then cleared her throat and tried to hide how affected she was. “What are you doing here?”

Nick winked at her and plopped next to her on the couch. 

“I’m here for the meeting for Operation Get Spellman Her Company Back.” He smirked at her when she huffed.

“No, nope. I told you you weren’t getting involved.”

“You’re letting Prudence help.”

“That’s different. Prudence has worked there forever and is the only decent lawyer in town. And you-you.” Sabrina helped up her hand and tried to come up with an explanation. Nick raised his eyebrows at her in question and she huffed again, unable to come up with any  _ speakable  _ reason why she didn’t want his help. The real reason? Well she was protective of him. And she worried about adding even more time spent together. What she was doing with him was crazy enough.

“Save your breath, Spellman, I’m helping whether you like it or not.” He leaned in closer, just as Prudence came back in the room with a bourbon for him. “Your energy is better spent on other things.”

She turned red again, and rolled her eyes. But they both knew he had her. Two things were certain. He’d be helping and she’d have to deal with it. And she’d be turning up on his doorstep tonight simply because the look he was giving her now was driving her insane. And she’d have to deal with that too. 

Prudence rolled her eyes at how close the two were leaning. They weren’t fooling anyone and sooner or later it would all blow up in their face. Nick claimed nothing else would happen but Prudence was skeptical. Sabrina Spellman hadn’t looked at Harvey that way in a long time. And she didn’t think Nick had ever gazed at someone more adoringly. 

She cleared her throat and they turned to her attention. Sabrina had the good sense to look embarrassed but Nick just looked smug.

“Let’s get started. Nick you’re scary good at reading between the lines. Sabrina you know the company policies better than anyone. Here.” Prudence handed them both a stack of papers. With a deep sigh Sabrina picked up the first one and stole a glance at Nick. He winked at her again before diving in, proud of himself for inserting himself into the equation. The more she thought about it the less Sabrina cared that Nick was helping her. The more she listened to his steady breathing, the more she realized how much she wanted him there. How he calmed her. Sabrina ignored the questions of why, and focused on the papers. She ignored too, the anticipation of what would happen when she showed up at Nick’s tonight. Of how hot his kiss would burn. 

-

A soft knock broke Nick’s concentration on the stack of papers in front of him. He didn’t entirely look up, but called out a  _ come in _ to whoever was there. His reading glasses were perched on his nose and his brow was furrowed in concentration. He didn’t see who was coming into his office but as soon as they were close enough, he could smell her vanilla body scrub. The one he was sure he smelled like just a few days prior. 

“Hey there.” Sabrina said as he looked up to find her leaning in his desk. He placed his pen down with a small smile as she leaned over and touched his glasses. “These are new.”

Nick grabbed her fingers and tangled them with his, the simple touch making her squirm internally.

“I only wear them when I’m especially tired.” He smirked at her as she pressed her lips together, hiding a smirk of her own. 

“You should get more sleep, Scratch.” She teased him, shifting on his desk in a way that made her skirt ride up. She had known exactly what she was doing and he was under her spell, his eyes traveling to the new patches of skin that were exposed. 

“I was busy.” Nick said as he placed his hand on her knee and swallowed heavy, making his Adam’s apple bob up and down. 

“Shame.” Sabrina tilted her head to the side and biting her lip. 

“I disagree.” Nick winked at her and Sabrina’s breath caught in her throat. 

They were playing a dangerous game between the way Nick’s tired eyes were hooded under his glasses and undressing her with them, and the way she was biting her lip in the exact way she had last night. Neither was willing to break the stalemate as they allowed the tension that was building to get thicker. So thick, that Sabrina could taste it, and Nick could feel radiating to his fingertips that were drawing circles on her knee. 

Nick leaned in slowly and Sabrina was ready to kiss him, just as she had before she slipped out of his bed in the middle of the night. A bought of laughter from a nearby office pulled them apart though before they could, and it was a welcome bucket of cold water. Sabrina reminded herself that they were at work. She needed to keep herself in check. She needed to come up with a plan, as she couldn’t just keep sleeping with Nick without one. Especially not at work. 

She straightened up and pulled at her skirt, covering up the skin she had purposely exposed. Nick moved his hand off her knee and placed it in his lap after running a hand through his hair. 

“Did you need something, Spellman, or did you just come in here to rev me up?” Sabrina snorted in laughter and playfully shoved him, trying to hide her blush. 

There was a note of teasing in his voice but she could hear his frustration. If only they weren’t at work right now. If only they were actually together and they didn’t have to worry about getting caught. 

“No, Nicholas.” She crossed her arms. “Contrary to what you might think I do like you for more than just your body.”

“But you do like my body.” Nick leaned forward towards her again, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her to the edge of his desk. “Just to be clear.”

“Nicholas.” Sabrina warned but she could already feel her heart rate picking up. Their tension free reprieve was over, and Sabrina felt the thick fog of it washing over them again, so thick all she could barely see him in front of her. 

“That’s okay, Spellman.” Nick winked. “Your screams for more tell me enough.” 

“Oh like you don’t beg for seconds.” She narrowed her eyes at him as he leaned in close again.

“Seconds.” He kissed her then, featherlight but electrifying all the same. “Thirds.” He kissed her again, more soundly this time. “ _ Fourths.”  _ He kissed her fully and slipped his tongue in her mouth deepening it right away as her hands went to his curls. 

She felt the familiar butterflies in her stomach whenever Nick kissed her like this, the anticipation usually more than she could handle. She remembered then as he nipped at her neck that she actually had come in here with a purpose. That was before Nick had distracted her with bedroom eyes and she had done the same with her hiked skirt and lip biting. 

“Nick.” She said as she pushed him away from her to look at him. “I actually did come in here for a reason.”

“I found a better one.” Nick said before kissing her quick and hard. She giggled against his lips but stopped him again.

“No seriously, Nick.” He nodded then and gave her his full attention, raising his eyebrows at hers. “The Spellman Summer Opening Barbecue is this weekend. You’re coming right? You came last year.”

“Wouldn’t miss it. You know I love Hilda’s cooking.”

“Great.” Sabrina paused and looked down, trying to hide a building smile. “Could you do me a favor then?”

“Mhmm.” Nick nodded at her, wondering what she would ask but knowing he’d do it. 

“Could you come over early and help set up? Harvey usually does but he’s well...not here and I would really appreciate you using that body I love so much to put together tables and chairs.” 

Nick nearly laughed out loud at her eager expression. 

“Using flattery to get what you want, huh?”

“Maybe.” Sabrina smirked at him, knowing by the way he was looking at her that he’d agree. She thought about using sex to get him to help but she knew that he’d help regardless and well…she’d probably sleep with him again regardless too. 

“What time should I be there?”

“Oh thank you, Nick!” She squealed in excitement, ignoring his question at first. “Ambrose made it clear he was doing minimum manual labor.” Nick chucked at that. That sounded exactly like Ambrose. “Come by around eight in the morning?”

“You got it.” Nick nodded. “Now anything else? Or can I get to work.”

His tone was playful and Sabrina could tell he wasn’t serious. In fact, Nick would prefer she stay in his office all day. 

With a sly look Sabrina hopped off the desk and double checked that Nick’s door was locked and the blinds were shut. Then, without another word she moved to him and swiveled his chair around so she could have better access. She placed herself directly in his lap, straddling him, and kissed him fiercely and with passion that left no guesses as to what she wanted. 

-

It was a chilly morning for June when Nick showed up to help turn the Spellman Mortuary into a place fit for a barbecue. Ambrose was on the other side of the door when he knocked, a smug smile firmly in place. The cheekiness of Ambrose Spellman was something he wore like a badge of honor and was as integral to his wardrobe as the silk robes he shuffled through. The elder Spellman had tried to entice him into sharing his bed with Prudence more than once but Nick had declined. He didn’t see himself exploring that kind of relationship with Prudence again, and there was only one Spellman he was interested in. And now that he’d had her? He was certain no other woman would compare. His thoughts drifted to her often in the two years, even more so in the two weeks they’ve started sleeping together. He pushed down any feelings he had, knowing he shouldn’t have them. But it was near impossible now that he’s known what it is to kiss her, have her fall apart in his arms.

“Nicholas.” Ambrose said with a smirk and pulling Nick from his daydream. “I would say I’m surprised to see you, but I’m not. When Sabrina mentioned she was going to ask you to help I knew you’d be here.”

“What are friends for?” Nick tried, the word friend tasting sour in his mouth. Ambrose snorted at the description Nick had used.

“Right. Friends.” Nick took in Ambrose’s rolling eyes and thought that he must know. Prudence had to have told him. But then Ambrose kept going as he waved Nick inside. “Listen, I love my cousin. And you too, mate, are a good friend. But the two of you are mad. You are practically her boyfriend without all the good benefits that a boyfriend gets. How do you stand it?”

“Because we're  _ friends _ .” Nick tried to explain in a way that made sense to both himself and Ambrose, but struggled to do so. “I don’t have to have sex with her to enjoy her company or make her happy.” 

“Though I figure that would make her happy too.” Ambrose teased and Nick felt them traveling into dangerous territory. He was feeling flustered, worried that he’d show his hand. One thing Nick could feel was true, was that If anyone else found out about the two of them, it’d be over. And he wasn’t ready to give Sabrina up. 

“She has a boyfriend, Ambrose.” Nick went with the bit of information he reminded himself of often, so as to not get too close.

“Ah but if she didn’t?” Ambrose held a finger in the air but Nick shook his head and threw a stern glance that encouraged Ambrose to drop it.

“Let it go, Ambrose. We’re not talking about this.”

“Fine.” Ambrose rolled his eyes but conceded. He slapped Nick on the shoulder and led him to the backyard. “My lovely cousin isn’t even here yet but you can start on those chairs. Hilda will be around soon with decorations.”

Nick bit back a smirk, knowing she wasn’t here because she had to run home and change and prepare for the day. After spending the night. With him. 

“And what are you going to do?” 

“Oh I have business to attend to.” Ambrose smirked as he headed up to his attic. “Prudence is over and I need to go take care of that boyfriend business we spoke of earlier.” 

He was gone then and Nick was alone, so he started setting up tables and chairs with a deep breath. Sabrina was on his mind again and he hoped she showed up soon, just to talk to her. He missed her company and had meant it when he told Ambrose he enjoyed spending time with her.

Nick had worked up a sweat, and not in the way he likes, but it was all worth it when Sabrina flashed him a smile in thanks when she showed up and kissed him in her old bedroom when she showed him where he could shower and change. 

It seemed the whole town of Greendale showed up for the barbecue, enjoying Hilda’s famous pulled pork, grilled chicken, and brisket. Hilda had spent days on it and Nick could smell it when he showed up that morning, and relished in how it tasted. Hilda had even put a little aside for him to take home later and he looked forward to eating it for days.

Sabrina continued to admire Nick as he interacted with the people of town and her friends, who seemed to be his friends now too, and was happy he had settled into Greendale and was finding his footing. She didn’t know how long he’d stay, figuring the city would call him back home someday. But she’d enjoy his company while she could.

She tried calling Harvey, as it had been a few days, but it went straight to voicemail. She couldn’t ignore the feelings of relief that coursed through her when she didn’t have to talk to him. She didn’t know what she would say anyways, and didn’t feel like figuring it out.

Later after dessert had been served and people started playing music and games, Sabrina excused herself from her conversation with Roz and Lizzie. She hadn’t talked to Nick much that night but figured it was because Lizzie continued to pester her with questions about whether Nick was ready for a relationship or what he was up to. She didn’t blame him for staying away, Sabrina didn’t even want to have that conversation with Lizzie.

Sabrina headed in for a moment with the intention of grabbing extra cups for her Aunt Hilda’s famous Summer Punch that her aunt asked her to get. She had no idea what Nick’s guise was for following her but despite her innocent reasons for stepping away from the party there was nothing innocent about the way she had somehow ended up pressed between Nick and the dining room wall. She had been buzzing with want for his touch from the moment he’d showed up and hadn’t known he was feeling the same. 

She gasped as his hips pressed into hers, a feeling she’d become more familiar with by the day, yet still one that sent shockwaves through her body just the same. His lips which had been securely attached to hers traveled down to her neck, and she knew she had to put on the breaks before she undid his belt on instinct or someone found them like this.

“Nick.” She gasped and he groaned in response, not recognizing the difference between her calling out his name and trying to get his attention. She tried again. “Nick, wait.”

He paused his work and pulled his face from her neck. He would kiss her as long as she let him, but any indication of her wanting it to stop, he would. He gazed down at her with an intensity and she almost forgot what she wanted to say, transfixed by his dark eyes and messy hair.

“Rules.” She said as she rubbed her hands up and down his chest. She was unable to keep from touching him and she noticed him shiver beneath her fingers. “We need rules.”

“Rules.” He raised his eyebrows and when she bit her lip he pulled it from her teeth before he could bite down on it too. “What kind of rules, Spellman?”

“Like no leaving marks.”

“You left plenty of marks on me last night, Sabrina.” Nick teased her as her face turned as red as her lipstick that Nick had completely messed up as she remembered how she liked to dig her nails into his back when nearing completion. 

“No marks that other people can see, Nicholas.” Sabrina glared at him to try and get him to stop sending her that smirk. It didn’t work and her eyes shifted to an inviting gaze so he leaned down and pressed a delicate kiss to the nape of neck, making her shudder. 

“Fine, the marks I leave will be in places only I can see.” He’d become more bold in his speech since she started sleeping with him, and his words alone nearly made her forget about the cups she was supposed to be getting. He moved to the other side of her neck to kiss her there. “I’ll keep my hands to myself.”

“You’ve said that before.” Sabrina teased him as her eyes rolled back in her head at him nipping on her neck, effectively breaking a rule she’d just set.

“Guilty.” She could feel the smirk on her chin but didn’t push him away. Instead he pulled back again and stared at her. “What else, Spellman?”

“We can’t get caught, so we have to be careful.” He nodded before leaning in to kiss her. “So we should probably…” She muttered against his soft breath but her statement was left unfinished, replaced by a sigh as he slipped his tongue in between her lips. He’d only just deepened kiss when they heard someone clear their throat. 

Sabrina pushed him away quickly but then softened when she saw who it was didn’t think she was ever so happy to see Prudence Night in her life.

“Seriously, guys?” Prudence pursed her lips at the pair of them blatantly making out in the dining room. Nick just tightened his grip on Sabrina’s waist proving he wasn’t embarrassed in the slightest. Sabrina however turned a shade of red again and looked down, missing Prudence rolling her eyes. “What happened to ‘it won’t happen again?’” Prudence asked him but Nick just shrugged. 

Sabrina’s eyes snapped up to his questioningly, wondering why and when he had said something like that. She wouldn’t admit how much it stung, but when his thumb slipped under her tank and rubbed her skin soothingly she forgot all about it.

“Guess I was wrong.” Nick quipped. 

“Careless is what you are.” Prudence crossed her arms. “What if I had been Ambrose. Or Roz?”

“We have rules.” Sabrina said proudly with a smile, but her hands were still on Nick’s chest and he was still pressed up against her so closely she could feel everything. It was distracting.

Prudence snorted at the notion of rules, knowing that all of this would eventually blow up in their faces.

“Well you two better get back out there before anyone else comes to the glaring conclusion I already have. I swear your cousin is this close to figuring it out.”

“Right.” Sabrina tapped Nick’s chest once before pushing him away. She paused though, leaning up to kiss him sweetly and whispering a  _ later _ against his lips. He hummed and followed Prudence out, knowing that the two of them shouldn’t walk out together. Prudence huffed nonsensical words to him about how stupid he was but Sabrina ignored them. She had to grab the cups anyways and right her headband from where it had fallen off kilter. On her way back out to the party, she stole a glance at her reflection in the hallway mirror. She wiped at her lips, fixing where her lipstick was smeared. She only hoped Nick had done the same, knowing there was no way her signature shade of red hadn’t made its way onto his face.

-

Later when the barbecue was over Sabrina had once again bypassed her house completely. She laid on Nick’s bare chest as he absentmindedly dragged his hand up and down her spine, sending prickles of heat throughout her body. She was comfortable and wanted to sink into his bed and arms for a long time, but knew they had an important conversation from earlier to finish.

“Nick?” She asked him as she lifted her flushed face from his chest. His eyes were tired and still coming down from their high, but he gave her his full attention. 

“Yes, Spellman?” He continued to rub her back and didn’t hesitate to pull her closer as her face neared his.

“We really do need to set some rules.” She began to draw patterns on his chest which made him shiver and become overheated all at the same time. 

“This gonna become a regular thing then?” He teased her in attempts to hide how nervous he was that she’d cut him out completely. He didn’t want this to end yet. 

“I think it already is, Nick.” She leaned down and kissed his chest, right over his heart, and didn’t notice how it sped up at the intimate gesture. “I’m rather enjoying your company. I think I’d like to enjoy it all summer...while Harvey’s gone.”

Here it was, her proposal. Nick was sure this was a terrible idea. He’d dated openly before, slept with someone without a label, but having an affair was never something he’d tapped into. Especially an affair with a woman he was pretty sure his feelings ran deep for. Nick had seen the way Sabrina was attached to Harvey for the last two years, and didn’t see that changing no matter how many nights she’d spend in his bed. Still, he couldn’t quite seem to find the courage to deny her. He thoroughly enjoyed exploring every inch of her body, and if she was giving him permission to continue to do so all Summer while her absent boyfriend was away? Who was he to say no?

“You’re suggesting we keep seeing each other...until Harvey gets back.” He clarified.

“It’s just sex.” She blurted out quickly, but then softened. “I mean we’re friends, but it’s not like this sex...this attraction we both agreed we have, means anything. Right?...” She bit her lip as his brows furrowed. He disagreed with her, believing deep down that their moments meant everything and that if she admitted it she just might have feelings for him too. But he wouldn’t push it. 

“Right.” He agreed with a small smile and brushed the hair out of her eyes. He gently grazed her chin with his fingertips and brought her lips down to meet his with a delicate peck to seal the agreement. When the kiss began to deepen Nick pulled away, remembering she had wanted to set rules. Also, he didn’t want to go any further just yet, he was still too tired from earlier and she seemed to be so too, spent and exhausted from the thrill and passion of it all. “You mentioned rules.”

“Yeah-uh. Rules.” She cleared her throat and moved to sit next to him, figuring if she touched him less there’d be less of a chance they’d lose control and give in before talking. “You can’t leave any kind of evidence on or near me that this is happening. My boyfriend is out of town, it can’t look like I’m having sex.”

“I’ll keep the hickies to a minimum and make sure I don’t leave anything at your place. What else?” He turned on his side in bed and propped his head up on his hand, staring up at her.

“You can’t tell anyone. Prudence knows, obviously, but no one else can.”

“I’ll be your dirty little secret, Spellman.” He moved his hand to her hip and rubbed his thumb in circles. Even with the sheet between them the touch made her run hot. “What else?” 

“Well…”. She looked down in embarrassment. “I know it’s not really fair of me to ask this of you...considering I have a boyfriend but-” 

“You’re the only person I’m sleeping with, Sabrina.” Nick stated in a sure way, reading her information which made her eyes jump to his. “And it’s gonna stay that way.” His eyes danced as a smirk played on his lips. “Besides, we’ve fallen into bed together nearly every day over the last few weeks. When would I have time to be with someone else.”

“Fair.” Sabrina said with a small smile as she grabbed his hand, biting her lower lip once nervously. “Speaking of not being with anyone else…I’ve only ever been with Harvey and we haven’t had sex since February.” Nick’s head twisted in confusion. It was June and it was incomprehensible to him that someone could go that long not being with Sabrina. He wasn’t even sure how many times he’d slipped between her legs in the last two weeks, but he knew it was a lot. “I have an IUD and it sounds like you’re clean too…”

“What are you saying, Spellman?” He asked her as she wagged her eyebrows suggestively. He thought he knew, but he was feeling bold again and wanted to hear her say it. 

“I’m saying, if you’re comfortable with it we can skip that extra layer of protection.”

Nick answered her with a fierce kiss, bringing her to straddle his lap. The sheet that was covering her chest fell away and he was struck by her breathtaking beauty. 

“I’m comfortable with it.” He breathed out and she chuckled. 

“So we agree then.” She reached down and wiped his lips, smiling down still sitting on top of him. “We keep this quiet and enjoy each other for the summer.”

He nodded and pulled her down to kiss him again. Before their lips connected she paused. His pout made her giggle.

“And we can both quit anytime we want. No pressure, Nick. If you meet someone…”

He didn’t let her finish, kissing her so soundly she wasn’t sure she’d ever speak again. Her statement made her nervous. She told herself she didn’t have feelings for Nick, but she didn’t want him dating either. 

“There’s no one else, Spellman.” He said and kissed her again. She chose to ignore the deeper meaning behind his words, choosing instead to roll her bare hips against his. It seemed they were both well enough rested and ready to go again. This time she wanted to be on top, and relished in the connection they formed again when they began. She didn’t want this to ever stop, and didn’t know how she would come summers end. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we have an agreement! They're gonna be together for the Summer, just until Harvey gets back. But do we think this will actually work? Honestly probably not. And like most things in Sabrina's life it'll probably blow up in her face. 
> 
> I honestly can't wait for Part 4 in a few days but I'm also terrified and so sad its over and I have SO many emotions. We'll have to wait and see and cross our fingers for HBO Max to come through.


	10. Chapter 10: Together For a Moment, Not Forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this totally wasn't supposed to take this long to get updated. Once I got back from my trip, work got crazy and then I got sick but here we are anyways! I'm hoping to get back on a more regular posting schedule but we shall see! Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 10: Together For a Moment, Not Forever**

* * *

Sabrina had slept soundly all night, flush to Nick’s side as he wrapped his arm tightly around her waist, Sabrina tickling Nick’s chest with every breath as she laid across him. He’d come over the night before with takeout from Cee’s and they’d spent the evening curled up by the fireplace and dancing around the coffee table to old records that had belonged to her parents. She’d never laughed so hard, smiled so wide, as when he’d dipped her low and brushed his nose against hers to the tune of  _ Baby Love _ by The Supremes. 

They’d ended up in bed well past midnight, despite both working the next day, and she let the sound of his breathing lull her to sleep, memorizing it while she could. A shuffling about the room brought her from her slumber though and for a minute she regretted the two of them staying up so late. She didn’t regret the two rounds of sex they’d had, but wished they’d started sooner in the evening. It was early and pockets of sun were shining through the window, making her white comforter glow in golden hues. When Sabrina opened her eyes she realized she was alone in bed and Nick was moving about the room. 

“Nick, where are you going?” She asked him as she lifted her head off of her dainty pillow. Her sheets were wrapped around her still naked body and her glowing skin was nearly begging him to come back to bed. He was fully clothed however, and looked like he intended to leave. 

“I have an early morning meeting with Prudence remember, Spellman?” He sat on the edge of her bed and took in her messy hair and flushed face, proud of himself for being the reason for her disheveled appearance. He caressed her cheek and she shuttered at the contact, unable to hide the effect he had on her. “I can’t very well show up in yesterday’s clothes and smelling like your perfume now can I?”

“No I guess you can’t…” She trailed her hand up his chest and into his hair. She smiled wickedly as she brought Nick down to her lips to kiss him goodbye. Sabrina knew exactly what she was doing, kissing him goodbye in a way that would make it near impossible for him to leave. The way she breathed against him, he almost gave in and climbed back in bed, yesterday’s clothes be damned. She pulled away from him then and giggled at the groan that he gave in response. “I’ll be in the office later.” 

“I look forward to it.” He brushed his lips against her forehead once before heading out of the room. Sabrina touched the place on her head he’d kissed her, feeling the warmth that seemed to radiate from it. He was doing that more lately, kissing her hair or forehead with a gentleness she’d never experienced. She wasn’t complaining, but it was so different than the fiery and passionate ones he’d place on her lips when they were in the throws of it. And ever since they’d solidified their arrangement, the sex itself had been slower, more tender. It was still toe curling, the earth shattering kind she’d never had with Harvey, but lately it was different. The little touches that passed between them screamed out to Sabrina that this was more than a Summer affair, whether he was kissing her cheek or the inside of her thigh. She’d miss those just as much as the sex when Harvey came home. 

The sound of her shutting front door brought Sabrina back to reality and she eyed her phone on her nightstand. It wasn’t even seven yet, and Sabrina smiled to herself before getting out of bed and slipping on her robe. In the kitchen Sabrina noticed that Nick had started a pot of coffee, minus one cup for himself, and put a kettle on the stove. She never knew what she’d be in the mood for until she woke up, and it was touching that he’d made both. She went for the tea this morning, grabbing some loose earl grey and her diffuser and plopping it into her favorite paisley mug. The milk and honey were already out waiting for her and she smiled again, heart lurching at the small gestures Nick always did to make her know he was thinking of her, that he knew her. It was downright romantic, and very relationship-esque. It was dangerous. 

After preparing her tea, Sabrina moved to sit outside on her porch to enjoy the sun coming up. One of her favorite times of the day during the Summer was the early morning. Even though it was July, before the clock hit eight AM Sabrina found she could still be outside in a warm robe and a throw. The humidity and heat didn’t wash over the air and Sabrina enjoyed these mornings to think or read, always with a cup of coffee or tea. 

She had a lot to think about, her mind drifting between two men. The only two men she had ever been with, Nick and Harvey, couldn’t be more different. Harvey had been a sense of stability and consistency her whole life and he was as sweet as they come. He could be clueless at times and she felt he took her granted once and a while, but he had always been there. Harvey had been her boyfriend for nearly ten years, though less of a partner in recent ones. Then there was Nick. Nick was not Harvey. He was a wildcard, a charming and confident city boy who had no intention of marrying or likely even staying in Greendale forever. Nick had told her as much shortly after she’d begun to tolerate him, when they became good enough friends where he could share his plans to stay for a few years and then bolt. 

Nick was unlike anyone she had ever meant and this uncanny ability to read her mind and know exactly what to say to calm her down or rev her up. Nick was fire and ice all wrapped into one. He filled her with flames of passion and made her feel things she’d never felt with Harvey, teaching her a language all their own. At the same time he cooled her down. When things got too stressful at work or she was particularly pissed at Ambrose, he could place a band on her shoulder or brush her baby hairs out of her face and she’d feel immediately calm. Getting close to Nick had been dangerous, but exhilarating. She didn’t regret it exactly, but Sabrina worried what state her heart would be in once the Summer ended. She felt her heart wandering into dangerous territory and exploring “what ifs?” It did no good, but she couldn’t help but think about what it would be like to pull Nick on the dance floor at Dorian’s in the open, or to hold his hand outside of the secrecy of their bedroom. 

When her brain moved further down that path Sabrina’s heart turned at the thought of letting Harvey go, the only love she’d ever known. But the pendulum swung in the other direction too. It burned deep, like a shot of whiskey she could feel running down her throat, to think of saying goodbye to Nick in a month. It burned deeper though, a fear clawing at her very being, to admit that their relationship was more than just sex.

Her phone rang then, an annoying vibrating noise on the glass table beside her. She thought it might be Nick, but he had only left a bit ago and that seemed to be unlikely. Her stomach dropped in slight disappointment when the name lit up was Harvey’s, the picture along with it one she had taken years ago in high school and had never changed. She picked up, having no reason not to.

“Hey, Harvey.” Sabrina said, her sudden tiredness having nothing to do with her minimal sleep the previous night.

“Hi, Brina.” Harvey responded in that sweet voice of his. Sabrina’s stomach dropped, a mixture of guilt and awkwardness and the tiniest bit of missing him, even if it was just the stability she longed for. He sounded happy to hear her, so she did her best to feel the same. 

“You’re up early.” Sabrina commented as she took another sip of her tea. He didn’t usually call this early, if he called at all. 

They texted every few days and talked on the phone about once a week. In Harvey’s eyes, they’d been together long enough where daily contact wasn’t necessary. Sabrina and Harvey weren’t a clingy couple, and they’d fallen into that comfortability where he didn’t have to try as hard. Plus, he had terrible service at the mines in Kentucky and Sabrina understood that. Sabrina agreed with him to a point and while they’d been dating a decade, they weren’t an old married couple who’s been in it forever. Sabrina wanted romance and spice and some  _ effort.  _ Even down the line when she was married for thirty years she still wanted the relationship where she couldn’t keep her hands off her husband. She wanted her partner to sweep her off her feet, hands on her replaced hip, and kiss her wrinkled forehead. She didn’t want complacency, she wanted love. True love. She’d once believed Harvey could give that to her, but she wasn’t so sure anymore. 

“Yeah I got the day off today actually so I thought I’d call. We haven’t had a long chat in a while.” Sabrina’s reaction to Harvey’s response was dual-sided. It made her slightly happy that he had thought to call. But at the same time, they hadn’t had a meaningful conversation even in the weeks before Harvey had left. And just because he was free, that didn’t mean she was. 

“Well I don’t have the day off.” Sabrina’s tone was biting, and she closed her eyes and pressed her lips together, recognizing that her annoyance at him was partly because of her own projection of guilt. 

“I know that.” Harvey edged, speaking slowly. “But I figured you hadn’t started yet.” Sabrina took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair after setting her tea down. On the other end of the call Harvey did the same, placing his coffee on the end table in his room. 

“I’m sorry, Harvey.” Sabrina said with a deep sigh, apologizing in her mind for much more than being snippy with him. No matter how much he ignored her, he didn’t deserve what she was doing with Nick. The guilt was always there, right next to the lust and pleasure, but Sabrina didn’t know how to navigate it. She had no idea how to quit Nick, no idea how to end a decade’s long relationship. So for now she’d swallow down the bile in her throat and fake it, and thank whoever that Harvey didn’t pay much attention to notice the hitch in her breath. “Tell me about the mines.” 

Harvey was off then, describing to her the intricacies of the new equipment they were using to carve out new shafts. There was a brightness to his voice, an excitement that Sabrina hadn’t heard in a while fall from his lips. Happiness bubbled in her that Harvey was doing what he enjoyed. Long ago he’d declared his plans to forgo the Kinkle Mining Legacy and go to Art School, he’d forge his own path with Sabrina beside him. But his father’s alcoholism had gotten worse over the years and Tommy couldn’t do it on his own, so he abandoned his dreams and signed on for the mines. It slowly became something he found purpose in, even more so since expanding to neighboring towns and states. But with the growing business came shrinking free time, Sabrina slipping into the category of afterthoughts and constants. Something he didn’t have to worry about. And their relationship suffered for it. So much so that Sabrina found herself in an affair, albeit one that seemed a long time coming considering it’s other half, but one she couldn’t pull herself out of. 

As their phone call continued Sabrina realized Harvey had monopolized the conversation, leaving little room for her to talk about her life or her upcoming day. Part of her was grateful she didn’t have to skirt around the fact that she spent most of her time with Nick, but the other part was stirred with annoyance that he hadn’t even cared to ask her about what was new with her. By the time he’d finished chattering she’d finished her tea and had to get ready for work. With brisk  _ I love you’s  _ and a promise to talk again soon she slinked back into the house to change for the office. 

A quick look at the clock told her she was running late, not realizing that she’d been talking to Harvey for as long as she had. She darted into her bathroom after realizing she was still in her robe with nothing underneath.  Sabrina had never showered and washed her face so fast and she’s pretty sure she had mascara under her eyes as she rushed to get ready. Like a bull in a china shop, Sabrina tore around her room searching for the first clothes she could find that even slightly resembled an acceptable outfit. She managed to find a cotton charcoal grey dress, that when paired with her textured black tights, a necklace, and blazer, actually worked. She ran her hands through her curls, grateful that they usually air-dried in a semi-stylish way and quickly poured herself a cup of coffee, nearly spilling it all over her semi-decent outfit. She silently thanked Nick for making it alongside the tea, knowing full well that she’d need the extra caffeine today. 

Sabrina was often grateful that Greendale was a small town, be it the friendly smiles she received wherever she went or being able to walk most places. But today she was extra thankful that Greendale was small enough where she could speed without getting worried about a ticket. But as she’d later learn, driving too fast was the least of her worries.

-

“Nicholas.” Prudence straightened in her chair when Nick entered her office. Her feet had been propped up on her desk and her lips, donned in a dark purple color, were tugged into a smirk. “You look positively wrecked.” Nick grumbled as he sat in the chair across from her, already on the second cup of coffee from his own pot he’d brewed when he got home to change. “I take it you got little sleep.” 

“Shouldn’t we get down to business, Pru?” Nick asked her firmly, indicating he was not going to talk about why he had bags under his eyes and yawned every few minutes. 

“No need to get defensive.” Prudence held up her hands, but the sly look didn’t leave her face. It was permanently stamped there for as long as he’d known her. 

“I came to work Prudence, not talk about whatever it is you think you understand.” Nick waved his hand in the air, pointing at her head dramatically and Prudence rolled her eyes in response.

“Okay, okay, fine.” Prudence narrowed her eyes at him and Nick knew she wasn’t going to drop the topic and he should prepare for it to come up again later. “You should know Lilith is drawing up preliminary plans to expand the company.”

“And you’re helping her?” Nick furrowed his brows, surprised that Prudence would help Lilith whilst assisting Sabrina in her battle. “What about Sabrina?” Prudence bit her tongue to keep from snapping right then and there. Of course Nick was thinking about her. That girl had him wrapped around her little finger, and other places on her body too. 

“Nicky, I’m the company lawyer. I want Sabrina to have what’s rightfully hers, but I also have a job to do. And I certainly can’t help Sabrina if I get fired.” Prudence pushed, keeping most of her annoyance at bay. “There aren’t many lawyers in this town and even less that would help Sabrina on her wild goose chase to restore the company to her name.” 

Nick paused for a moment after realizing he’d jumped to conclusions, ignoring the warning bells in his brain that were screaming at him to recognize he’d gone into  _ protect Sabrina mode _ with no right to. He was just the guy she was sleeping with, after all. 

“Right. Sorry, Pru.” Nick said while biting his lip and offering up a small smile to which Prudence rolled her eyes again. “You were saying?” 

“Anyways.” Prudence took a deep breath, preparing to share information with him that could go either way. The work-driven Nick would be excited about the prospect of an expanding company. The Nick that Prudence knew was under Sabrina Spellman’s spell would be hesitant. “Like I said, Lilith is planning on opening a branch of the company in New York to be a closer contact to the clients we already have there, as well as to get new ones. You know she likes luxury brands.”

“And as the company lawyer and overall _do what needs to be done_ person you’re a part of making that happen.” Nick finished for her, understanding her involvement. 

“Exactly.” Prudence nodded .

“So what does that have to do with me?” Nick asked her as he leaned back in the chair, folding his hands in his lap. He now thought he knew why Prudence had called him in before the rest of the office came in for the day, and it worried him because he didn’t know how he felt.

“You’re on the shortlist to head that up. Lilith has been impressed with what you’ve been able to do these last two years, specifically you’re clients in New York. And your knowledge of the city and contacts there are just what we need to make the expansion successful.”

“Me? What about Sabrina? I’m the new guy here.”

“Sabrina won’t leave Greendale. She’s incredible at her job, maybe better than you. But Greendale is her home.”

“And it’s not mine?”

“Nicky.” Prudence shook her head. “This would be an incredible opportunity for you. You can’t get higher in the company than this. Isn’t this what you came to Greendale to do? Learn what you can from Edward Spellman’s company and then run one yourself? You could do that in New York.”

“I like it here in Greendale, Prudence. I like my life.” Nick insisted. “I’m happy where I’m at in my career. Lilith should consider someone else, maybe someone who’s already in New York.” 

“This isn’t about the job at all is it?” Prudence tilted her head, suddenly realizing why Nick was so resistant. Nick closed his eyes and squeezed them tightly. He’d been caught. Prudence knew him well and the Nick from a few years ago would jump at the chance to head up a company, in New York of all places. But things had changed.  _ He  _ had changed. And his heart and life was inherently different, all because of a tiny platinum blonde who had agreed to be his friend, and then let him in her bed. 

“Prudence, I just don’t think that now’s a good time for me to be switching up my career.” 

That set something off in Prudence. She’d been holding back for weeks since she discovered that Nick and Sabrina were having an affair. Hiding it from her own boyfriend was hard, but Prudence could keep a secret. But not giving one of her oldest friends a piece of her mind was infinitely harder, and she was through holding her tongue. 

“We’ve been friends for a long time, Nicky, and I know it may seem like I didn’t always have your heart in mind.” Nick snorted at the notion as he remembered back when they were seeing each other his heart was her least favorite part about him. “But you are acting like a fool.”

“Prudence, I’m fine.” Nick tried to explain but he heard the lie himself and Prudence nearly laughed out loud and Nick’s avoidance. He’d keep avoiding it though, continue to spin the lies as long as he could. 

“Nick. You are throwing away a life-changing opportunity for what, a good lay?” Nick glared at her, confirming that to him Sabrina was much more than that. Prudence didn’t hold back though, wading further into Nick’s insecurities and the heart of the matter. “You act like you don’t want love, that a real relationship isn’t for you. But we both know that isn’t true. You date people who aren’t interested in anything long term so you don’t have to worry about someone loving you. You slept with me and my sisters because we certainly weren’t going to date you. You dated Luke Chalfant because he was an asshole who would never settle down. And Lizzy was a nice girl but the second she started to ask for commitment you freaked out.”

“Pru-.” Nick warned. She was treading into dangerous territory of being right about him. She didn’t even know his full story and yet she was calling him out. Was he really that easy to read?

“And now you’re sleeping with someone who does want all of those things, who is basically the model home of wife-material. Someone who loves with a fierceness that is honestly terrifying and I don’t understand it. But she’s someone with a boyfriend, so again, not an option for love for you.”

“I mean it, Prudence.” Nick squeezed his eyes shut and prayed she’d be gone when he opened them. 

“But you do love her. And I’m telling you right now, Nicky, she picks Harvey in the end.” Nick let out a deep breath as Prudence continued and confirmed all the fears he wasn’t ready to unmask just yet. “The two of them have been like this since high school.” Nick opened his eyes and raised his gaze to her to see Prudence crossing two of her fingers. Her lips were set in a firm line and her brows were furrowed, concentrating on him. “You avoid love like the plague, despite your longing for it, because you think yourself unworthy. So you bury yourself in work and dead-end relationships as a self-fulfilling prophecy so you can claim being right in the end. I know you don’t talk about Amalia, whatever it is that happened there broke your heart. But Sabrina Spellman? She’s gonna break your heart too. Please,  _ please _ , don’t let her. And please don’t let whatever the Hell temporary thing you have going on keep you from  _ actually _ making a choice that would be good for you.”

Nick sat in silence as what Prudence was saying to him sunk in. She was right, he had always wanted to experience that pure and real love his parents had. But he’d let the one person who loved him in that way die heartbroken because he didn’t feel the same. So he’d never given himself the chance to have it. He thought he might be feeling that with Sabrina. No scratch that, he  _ knew  _ he loved Sabrina. But she was unattainable. Yet something about her was keeping him from stopping what they had started. 

“I’m not just going to blindly reject the offer, Prudence.” Nick started carefully, though Prudence’s narrowed eyes and thinned lips told him she didn’t believe him. “Plus an offer hasn’t even been made yet. If it happens, I’ll think about it.”

“Why don’t I believe you.” Prudence retorted as she stood and gathered her papers, clearly finished with the conversation. 

“Pru, your caring is showing.” Nick teased her to try and get a laugh out of his friend. It was a way to distract himself from the weight of her words. The truth behind them was already seeping into his mind and taking root, preparing his head and his heart to lose Sabrina in a month’s time. 

“Tell anyone and I’ll slit your throat.” Prudence directed one of her perfectly manicured fingers at him. Her fingernails were dark and pointed, and Nick had no doubt she could do just that with a swipe of her hand. But a tiny smile danced on her lips and Nick knew he had her. 

“Thank you, Pru, really.” Nick said as he stood too and placed both of his hands on her shoulders. She squirmed, not one for physical touch. Back when they’d slept together, Nick would try and cuddle her or kiss her chest every so often and it usually ended with Prudence shoving him off and nearly poisoning his coffee. Though she didn’t pull fully away now when Nick rubbed his thumb on her shoulder in a friendly manner. He supposed her leaning slightly into affection and tenderness had something to do with her Spellman she was currently dating. “I appreciate you looking out for me. I hear you, and I won’t make any rash decisions.” 

Prudence softened and took a deep breath, and Nick found that he meant his words. He loved Sabrina, and even her aside he truly did love his life in Greendale. It was simpler and he had friends here, people he might consider family. But he wouldn’t negate Prudence’s point about New York being a good opportunity.

“Don’t make me regret it.” Prudence answered, swiping her fingernail against his chin and nodding her head. “Now come on, let’s go get some coffee.” 

“You buying?” Nick began to follow her out of the office. 

“Hell no, you are of course.” She called over her shoulder and Nick held his head back in laughter, waving to people in the office as they walked by and confirming after dinner drinks with a few of the guys from the art department. 

A tight ball settled in his chest, reminding him that while he was in love with Sabrina, she wasn’t the only thing that would make him want to stay in Greendale. But the inevitable pain of losing her, that might be enough to send him packing all on its own. 

-

Sabrina was waiting for Nick by his car in the parking lot, leaned up against it in a way that had him wishing he could just kiss her right there. But they were actually getting out of the office early and the lot was more populated than usual. They didn’t have the cover of darkness either when they stayed late so he refrained, settling his hands in his pockets as an extra safeguard.

“How was your day, Scratch?” Sabrina asked him as she tilted her head to the side. He decided not to tell her about New York. It wasn’t an actual offer yet and he didn’t want their remaining weeks to be tainted with the sting of his possible leave. They already had a reason for the expiration date on their affair, and they didn’t need two.

“Eventful.” He answered with a shrug, not offering more. “You?”

“Busy.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I missed seeing you, but my day was basically nonstop.” 

“Same here.” Nick responded, chancing a step closer and grabbing her hand, playing with her fingers. He took a moment then and looked her up and down, brow furrowed in confusion at her outfit.

He hadn’t seen her at all that day, both of them too busy to make it to the other side of the office. She’d been meeting a client for lunch and he hadn’t even had time to eat at all. There was still an iced latte for her though waiting for her on her desk when she’d arrived, and the flirty text she’d sent in response nearly had him canceling his morning appointments. Sabrina sensed an uneasiness to him, like he was thinking about something. But before she could comment he smirked and looked her up and down again, dropping her hand and crossing his arms across his chest. 

“Is that my shirt?” His smirk was taking up his whole face and Sabrina denied it quickly because  _ of course it wasn’t.  _

“What?” Sabrina answered in part shock and part bewilderment. It was most certainly not. “No it’s-” and then she remembered and looked down at what she was wearing. “Oh my God, it’s your shirt.” 

Sabrina was sure her soul left her body in that moment because there was no way it was her who could have made such a careless mistake. There she was after a full day at work, wearing the dark T-shirt she had stripped off of him a few days prior. The one she had worn home because it smelled like him and because he had accidentally ripped her dress when pulling it off of her. It was one of their more memorable nights. Well the clothes weren’t since Sabrina had decided Nick’s shirt was an acceptable outfit to wear. To work. 

“Shit, I thought it was a dress. I cannot believe I wore this all day. I was so tired this morning I didn’t even think.” Nick smirked again at that, momentarily basking in the knowledge that he was the reason she was so worn out. She smacked him in the chest at his expression and felt her face getting flush. 

“Hey, I think it looks good on you.” Nick bit his lip and looked her up and down again. She shuddered at his eyes trailing along her body. “You sure you didn’t do it on purpose? To seduce me?” 

“I’m not trying to seduce you.” Sabrina retorted and crossed her arms, which only served to rustle the fabric enough to give her a fresh whiff of its scent, the cologne she’d bought him for Christmas invading her senses. 

“You always seduce me.” Nick quipped, bringing the red back to Sabrina’s face and her eyes back up to his.. 

“Nick. I just wore my secret lover’s t-shirt as a dress to my very professional job.” She pushed, trying to get him to take it seriously. Sabrina’s eyes got very wide as she remembered something. “Oh my God, that’s why Prudence was giving me such weird looks.”

Nick’s heart lurched, knowing the weird looks likely had more to do with the job offer in New York and less about her outfit. But he wouldn’t doubt that Prudence would recognize that the dress Sabrina had been wearing as actually not a dress at all. Nick put on a brave face and attempted to change the tone of their conversation. 

“You're have dinner at the mortuary tonight right?” Nick asked her as he reached over and trailed his finger up Sabrina’s arm. Her eyes fluttered closed as she accepted the comfort he was offering.

“Yes.” She took a deep breath. “And you have drinks with guys from the office?” 

“Yeah I’m headed over to Dorian’s now.” 

“Can I call you when I’m done?” Sabrina asked eagerly with her eyebrows raised and eyes hopeful. “I can come over.” 

“Yes please, Spellman.” Nick answered automatically. He was looking forward to hanging out with some of the guys in the office, but he’d much rather end his night with Sabrina in his arms. It seemed she felt the same. 

“Perfect.” She smiled softly before it took on a bit of a sad tone. She looked at her feet once before meeting his gaze again. “I wish I could kiss you goodbye.” 

Her admittance was a knife to the heart, a salve to his wounds. Maybe she didn’t fully understand the implications of the statement. Maybe she didn’t know how much he wanted to push her against the car and kiss her goodbye too, how much he wished he could be the one she planned a future with. It stung that she wouldn’t give him the chance. That she could keep on wishing when the power was held in the palm of her perfect hand. He could kiss her goodbye, if she let him. 

He settled on flirting, hoping it covered up the storm of emotions that rose in him at her words. 

“We’ll have to settle for a kiss goodnight, then.” His eyes twinkled at her brightened expression and Nick knew his choice of response was a good one. It would get them through at least today, and they could figure out the rest later. 

Before she broke down and kissed him goodbye anyways, she waved and he winked and she made her way to her own car and off to the Mortuary. Nick settled in his car, giving himself a minute to pull himself together before heading to Dorian’s. He’d already begun coming up with excuses as to why he’d push off the men and women who used to flirt with him there, the ones he’d gone home with way back when he first arrived in Greendale. The only person he’d share a bed with tonight was Sabrina, while he still could. 

-

“Ambrose? Aunties?” Sabrina called as she poked her head in the front door of the Mortuary. 

The door wasn’t locked so she didn’t have to knock. Greendale was a tiny town and Sabrina couldn’t recall a time when she’d ever needed a key to get into her home. Not that they had neighbors, but people in town just trusted each other. Most townsfolk avoided the haunted looking funeral home anyways, so it never bothered her that she could just walk in no matter the time of day. As Sabrina entered the foyer further she heard the faint sound of laughter coming from the parlor and smiled to herself before heading in that direction. She smoothed down her sundress that she’d quickly changed into before heading to dinner, knowing she could under no circumstances show up in Nick’s shirt. Despite the fact that it had passed for a dress all day, Zelda’s keen eye for fashion would know that it was a t-shirt and not a dress. 

“Well, well, well, look who decided to show up.” Ambrose told her as she entered the room and leaned on the wall. He raised his glass to her as Sabrina shook her head and smiled, enjoying the scene before her. Hilda and Cee were cuddled close on the couch and Zelda was sitting in her own chair sipping on gin and smoking a cigarette. It wasn’t much different than the nights when she used to live there but something in the air and an extra level of giddiness to Hilda’s smile. Cee’s gaze on her was extra loving. 

“Ha ha, Ambrose. I’m here now.” Sabrina retorted before moving to the bar cart to pour herself a glass of the wine that Ambrose had opened and sat next to him. She hadn’t realized she was running late and was unsurprised that her cousin had pointed it out. “I had to go home and change.”

“Why’s that?” Ambrose asked her with a sly smile and Sabrina wondered if Prudence had spilled the beans about her affair with Nick. 

“My work clothes and dinner clothes are different, Ambrose.” Sabrina pushed and took a sip of her wine, leaving it at that and hoping Ambrose dropped it. To Sabrina’s delight, Hilda jumped in and sent her beaming smile in Sabrina’s direction.

“Well I’m glad you’re here, love.” Hilda grabbed Cee’s hand and stole a glance at him. Sabrina observed the older couple and felt the love between the two rolling off in waves. The looks past between the two and the subtle touches made clear their feelings and devotion to one another. Sabrina couldn’t help but think about whether or not Harvey had looked at her that way recently. Maybe he did in high school, but lately the only one who had eyed her like she hung the moon was Nick. “Dr. Cee and I have news.”

“What is it Auntie?” Sabrina asked and then looked at Ambrose and Zelda. Both were smiling, Ambrose goofily and Zelda’s was riddled with pride. 

Hilda didn’t give an answer, but instead held up her left hand and covered her mouth with her right. The light from the fireplace caught the ring on her finger and lit up her face, brightness only outmatched by her smile. 

“Auntie!” Sabrina cried and moved immediately to her Aunt’s side. She grabbed Hilda’s hand and adored the ring on her finger, a pearl in the middle surrounded by tiny diamonds. It was beautiful and perfectly her Aunt Hilda. “Congratulations, when did this happen?”

“In the middle of the work day at the diner.” Hilda answered, barely containing her joyful tears. Cee just tugged her tighter to his side and kissed her hair. 

“Right next to the fryer apparently.” Zelda couldn’t help but comment.

“I was waiting for the perfect moment.” Cee explained. “But I realized when she was helping a young kid sort out his money that every moment with Hilda is perfect. I had to propose right then.”

“That’s so romantic!” Sabrina told them and hugged them both, and clutched her heart as Hilda and Cee shared a sweet kiss. 

She couldn’t be more excited for her Aunt and Cee, but the proposal reminded her of her own lack of ring on her finger. Back in high school Sabrina had thought she and Harvey would be married by now, or at least engaged or living together. These days they were states apart and Sabrina was spending her time with another man, having sex with him, building a connection with him, all the while her long-term boyfriend was somewhere else. She never saw herself as the girl who cheated on her boyfriend. But she also never saw herself in the girl in a passionless relationship that was holding on for dear life. Which is exactly how she’d describe her romance with Harvey if she really thought about it. 

Ambrose eyed Sabrina carefully and took notice of her slightly downturned lips as the evening went on. He noted the way she played with the locket around her neck and looked down at her ring finger, eyeing the absence of a ring. He made note to talk about it with her later and decided to focus on the glowing Hilda, who had already begun relaying the wedding plans. 

“We want to get married soon. Within the next few months.” Hilda commented over dinner. She’d made a roast in celebration with potatoes and crispy green beans on the side. “It’ll be a lot of work, but we just can’t wait. You’ll help won’t you dear?” She asked Sabrina.

“Of course, Auntie!” Sabrina answered with assurance. “Whatever you need.”

“Do you think your miner will be able to make it back?” Ambrose teased her. Sabrina tensed at the mention of Harvey and glared at her cousin.

“Would it kill you to call him by his name? We’ve been together for ten years.” Ambrose rolled his eyes in response. That was ten years too many in his opinion, and wished his cousin would just drop Harvey Kinkle like he sensed she was itching to. “And he’ll be well back by September, so yes he’ll be there.”

“Leave your cousin alone, Ambrose.” Hilda warned before turning her soft gaze to Sabrina. “How is Harvey, love?”

“He’s good, I actually talked to him this morning.” Sabrina stated, taking a bite of her beans. She avoided Ambrose’s questioning look, which would likely be asking her how often she talked to him. She was not willing to tell him how little they spoke. “They’re carving out new mine shafts which is good for business.” 

“And he thinks he’ll be able to return at the end of Summer? If they’re doing so well I imagine they’ll want him to stay.” Zelda challenged. Sabrina took a small breath, knowing Zelda had a point.

“It’s my understanding that Tommy or his Dad could handle the Fall months. And if Harvey has to go back, then so be it.” Sabrina shrugged, silently admitting that Harvey being out of town wouldn’t be the end of the world. She was fairing fine now and if Harvey was gone again then Nick could help her feel even better. 

“Well I hope he proposes soon or he should stop wasting your time.” Zelda’s opinion was pointed and direct. Sabrina nearly choked on her green beans at the statement and was grateful Ambrose reached over and slapped her back to help. 

“We’ll see, Aunt Zee.” Sabrina grumbled. Ambrose took note of her annoyance as Zelda scoffed, and Hilda and Cee were too distracted in their own love daze to notice Sabrina’s clenched jaw and furrowed brow. Ambrose suspected Harvey’s lack of long-term commitment bothered Sabrina more than she let on. 

He wanted to talk to her about it but Sabrina disappeared shortly after, smiling down at her phone before hugging everyone goodbye and heading out the door. Ambrose would talk to her another time, prod her brain for whatever it was about Hilda’s engagement that stung so much. But he let her go for now, knowing that Sabrina sometimes needed to sit with her thoughts and figuring this was one of those occasions. 

As soon as Sabrina was in her car, she pressed the button on her steering wheel that connected to her phone. Nick answered on the first ring, confirming he was home and that she could come straight over. He’d already put a kettle on and built a fire, and planned to curl up with her on his couch. 

Drinks had been nice, but thoughts of Sabrina plagued him and despite his internal struggle of New York, by the time the guys had found people to go home with he was ready to go home himself and wait for her. 

He pulled her into his arms and held her tight the second she walked in his door, pulling away only slightly so he could kiss her and she sighed into it, reciprocating immediately. 

Later when they both sat on the couch and shared the details of the rest of their days, they sat close and Nick ran his hand through her hair. She had shared that Hilda was engaged and Nick’s genuine excitement and wide smile made her squeal as she told him. It numbed the hurt of her own failing relationship and made her want to curl more into his side. 

“You changed out of my shirt.” Nick said even later after enjoying each other’s silent company for a while. He fingered the fabric of her sundress that she had changed into before dinner.

“If I had gone to dinner with my family wearing it Ambrose would have known something was up.” 

Nick almost wanted to ask her why that was so bad. Prudence already knew and it wouldn’t surprise him if Ambrose was suspicious. But he didn’t. He had his own doubts about the fact that there was only sex between them and he didn’t want to add more to her plate. 

“I guess that’s fair.” He replied, still playing with her straps. 

“Besides why would I wear that one.” Sabrina turned to face him and moved her hands up Nick's chest and focused on undoing the buttons of his shirt. “When I can wear this one later.” 

She finished unbuttoning it and pushed it off his shoulders and pulled him down to her. She settled with her back on the couch, him on top of her as she kissed him deeply, drinking him in and sighing at the curling of his tongue against hers. He moved to her chin then, her jaw and neck, and kissed down her body as he hiked up her dress and settled between her legs. He took his time, edging her over with how he worked his tongue and fingers, basking in the way she gripped his hair and cried out his name. It was a sound he let settle deep in his chest, making its home there for at least a little longer. 

-

She woke for a moment in the middle of night and didn’t realize where she was at first. But the faint tick of a clock and the wisp of dark curls against her bare back reminded her she was in Nick’s bed. She settled back into his arms and down comforter and sank into the warmth it offered. She thought back to how he’d been the first person she wanted to share Hilda’s news with. How after a long day at work it was  _ his  _ car she’d leaned against and  _ his  _ bed she’d found refuge. 

The swell in her chest at the sight of him when she’d showed up that night was different than what she felt when she saw Harvey. The way she felt when she was around Nick was consuming and sweeping, scraping across her whole chest and finding a home in her beating heart, which she usually had a hard time steadying when he smiled at her. She used to chalk it up to a physiological reaction and blamed her body just acting on instinct to the way it moved along with him. But it was getting harder and harder to ignore that in reality it was more. Her feelings just might go deeper than the physical, and that scared the Hell out of her. 

Sinking into his arms that night was different. He held her a little tighter, like she’d slip through his fingers if he didn’t do so. The summer was fading fast and as August neared it was a reminder that she would slip away soon. When she did it would be for good, and Nick wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle that. 

Her gaze was different too. She’d always looked at him tenderly but there was an extra layer to it now. Like she was trying to memorize it all before it was gone. For Nick, the call of New York was strong. And for her, Harvey was an anchor tied to her ankle that was hard to shake. 

Both had an ache in their hearts at the thought of morning, even though they still had weeks before Harvey came back around again. Nick was certain he loved her, he had never been more certain of anything. But he’d have to let her go. 

Sabrina knew with clarity in that moment, as she stared at her ceiling and listened to the quiet snoring of the man that tugged her closer in his sleep, that she loved Nick, and she so desperately wanted to hold on for dear life. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they love each other, but will they tell each other? And will Nick go to New York? 
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	11. Chapter 11: it's time to go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some declarations don't get you the girl...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while. So in the spirit of honesty, I'm struggling to get this story finished. I am committed to get it done, there's only a few chapters left. But I'm losing motivation, I think part of it is I'm more excited about other stories and part of it is that it can be hard to write a story about cheating. ANYWAYS I'm still gonna do my best to get it all done, it just might take a bit longer.
> 
> This particular chapter has been a long time coming and I hope you guys like it!

Chapter 11: i t’s time to go 

* * *

“Damn, cousin.” Ambrose shook his head at Sabrina. He had seen Nicholas and Sabrina interact a number of times over the last two years and sensed there was a connection there. But he could never have guessed the chasm of it was as vast and deep as his cousin had just described. He didn’t account for the time spent everyday in a shared office, how much it would mean to Sabrina when Nick switched her order to peppermint coffee the Monday after Thanksgiving, or much of a true friendship they’d formed underneath all the lust and cheating. He could see in the way Sabrina was worrying her lower lip in the way she did when she was carrying something heavy that it was all weighing on her. “That’s a heck of a tale.”

“But it’s not just a tale, Ambrose.” Sabrina rubbed her hands up and down her face. “It’s my life, and I’m ruining it.”

“Cousin.” Ambrose said sympathetically as he sat his tea down and tilted his head. He’d initially planned on teasing her, but after hearing her talk about Nicholas he could see she was flailing. She needed a life vest, not for him to take a mocking video to laugh at later. He leaned forward on his knees to get closer to her. “Your life isn’t ruined. Perhaps confusing right now, but not ruined.”

“I cheated on Harvey, Ambrose. Cheated. And a lot.” Sabrina forced out, nearly choking at the words as they came out of her mouth? “What kind of person does that?”

“Someone who’s lost?” Ambrose suggested. The way her breath hitched, Ambrose thought maybe he had gotten it right. “You’re in a relationship that, I’m sorry cousin, is not working. Any guy who spends more time away from his girlfriend than with her and seems okay with it is not one who is ready to marry. And after ten years you’d think he would be. Plus the company, the one that is supposed to be yours, has been run by an evil witch for the last twenty-six years. And in walks Nicholas Scratch, someone absolutely worthy of you who ticks all boxes you so desperately wanted Harvey to have. He’s charming and good to you and always seems to know what’s going on in that head of yours.” Ambrose tapped her forehead once. “And when mixed with the absent boyfriend and stressful job, you got yourself a recipe for an affair.”

“Don’t make excuses for me.” Sabrina’s face fell into her hands again. She didn’t deserve someone to justify her actions. 

What Ambrose was saying made sense but she still felt guilty, more than she had all Summer. She thought it might have to do with the fact that tonight had proven Nick fit so perfectly into her life, her heart. Just as perfectly, maybe even more so, than he had fit every time he was slotted between her legs. To the naked eye she was dating Nick Scratch, when she already had a boyfriend.

“I’m not making excuses, cousin.” Ambrose slapped a hand on her shoulder. “Cheating is well...it’s cheating. But given the circumstances I’m not surprised. Even a good person like you can fall into it.”

“What am I going to do, Ambrose?” She asked, her face still in her hands but turned sideways to look at him. That was the million dollar question. All her life she had this drive in her to succeed in everything she put her mind to. It’s what had led her to be Valedictorian and graduate with honors in college. It’s what had kept her working at the company for so many years, despite Lilith. It was her sheer determination not to fail that kept her going. Her relationship with Harvey was lumped in with all of that, and she couldn't find it within herself to give up no matter how many dates he cancelled or weeks he was away. 

“Follow your heart?” He suggested and Sabrina scoffed. “I don’t know, cousin, how does Nicholas feel?”

“He’s told me before he’s never getting married.” Sabrina recalled the conversation they’d had once, but that was long before she’d started sleeping with him. Images of his gentleness and the way he always looked at her when they were together popped in her mind. If he was just using her for sex, wouldn’t he not look at her at all? “I can’t help but wonder though if he feels something too.” 

“I’d say by the way he’s always gazing at you dreamily that it’s more than sex for him too.” Ambrose pointed out. He’d seen the way the two interacted with one another. Hell, he’d spied their connection a mile away that first night at Dorian’s when they argued over books. That connection grew stronger when they were inseparable at her birthday party a few months later. 

“Ugh this is so complicated.” Sabrina sighed and leaned her head back, exhausted emotionally and physically. 

“Maybe not.” Ambrose said simply. The raise of Sabrina’s eyebrows challenged him to explain his reasoning. “Okay maybe the situation is. But I don’t think your feelings are.”

Ambrose knew his cousin well. He could see her trembling hands were grasping on to the fraying ends of her relationship with Harvey. He knew all about his cousin’s stubbornness and fear of failing. He could see clear as day that that was her motivating factor behind continuing to be with the absent miner. They were town’s High School Sweethearts. Everyone was expecting them to marry someday, and Sabrina didn’t like to be a disappointment. Sabrina cared for Harvey, yes, but as he’d pointed out earlier Ambrose knew his cousin was developing deep feelings for Nicholas Scratch. 

“Go on.” Sabrina edged him. 

“You love Harvey, yes?”

“Of course. I always have.” Sabrina said easily. Because despite it all she did love him. It was the kind of love that was in question. 

“And you love Nick?” A fresh flush and a small smile rose to her face as she thought of him. She couldn’t help it at this point and with a bite of her lip she nodded.

“I think he’s my best friend, Ambrose. I tell him...” She paused and felt a shudder work it away through her body as she thought of what he meant to her. How her heart had pounded as he kissed her on the porch before leaving for that evening. Or how she could still feel his hand on her cheek as if he’d left it behind with her. “Everything.”

“Okay.” Ambrose paused with a small smile of his own. “So you love both of them. But who are you in love with? Not love, not falling in love, but in love. Because I think you know.”

Sabrina paused for a moment as she took in Ambrose’s words. She didn’t have to think long, knowing nearly right away who it was. It was a glaring neon sign, like the one that screamed  _ danger _ when she’d first met him. But this one was even more clear, and it was blasting out to her that it was him. Sabrina was in love with Nick, and had been for a very long time. 

“It’s Nick.” Sabrina said softly, smiling at the way his name tasted and sounded falling from her lips. “I’m in love with Nick.”

“Well great. Goodbye, Harvey.” Ambrose waved his hand across the sky but then caught Sabrina’s sudden downturn look and sad eyes. “Oh no, what?”

“I can’t do anything about it.”

“Why not?” Sabrina was quick to open her mouth and respond but Ambrose was quicker, holding up a finger and speaking first. “And don’t say it’s because this is just a Summer thing because the two of you have been circling around each other for years.”

“I can’t throw away a ten year relationship because of an affair, Ambrose.” Sabrina shook her head. 

“I’m sorry to break it to you cousin, but your ten year relationship might very well be over as soon as Harvey finds out.” Sabrina bit her lip again and Ambrose’s eyes widened as he realized what his cousin was thinking. “You are going to tell him right?”

“Oh now you’re suddenly so moral?” Sabrina sneered but then took a deep breath. “Of course I’m going to tell him, Ambrose. And I know that Harvey might break up with me because of it. Then maybe-”

“What maybe then you can be with Nick?” Ambrose sighed and scooted closer to his cousin again, growing frustrated with her. “Cousin. Nicholas is not a backup plan. Don’t treat him like one.”

“I thought you were going to be unbiased.” Sabrina stood and crossed her arms. She suddenly wanted to escape this conversation and was tired of airing her dirty laundry. 

“I am, which is why I’m pointing out that you have to make a decision. Choose Nick or don’t. Choose Harvey or don’t. But what you’re doing isn’t fair to either of them, and it isn’t fair to you. I know you’re scared about ending a decade’s long relationship, but I think you’re also scared of letting go of the one thing that’s ever made you this happy.” Sabrina avoided his eyes at his pause, letting his assessment of the situation sink it as she recognized how spot on it was. She simply nodded in acknowledgement of all he was saying. His smile turned upwards slightly as he tried to lighten the mood. “Do you need more opinions or something? You could take a poll. Harvey will probably have Roz on his side. Auntie Hilda too, although she’s very fond of Nicholas. Did you see the way she giggled when he complimented her engagement ring?”

“Ugh shut up.” Sabrina shook her head but chuckled. When she finally looked at him he had warmth and understanding in his eyes and she found she could finally let the tears fall. With a deep breath she shrugged her shoulders. She spoke in a quiet and reserved voice, one so unlike the cousin he normally saw. “I don’t want to lose him, Ambrose.” 

“Who, cousin?” Ambrose asked in the softest voice he’d used all night. He figured he knew who she was talking about but gave Sabrina the chance to speak it aloud. 

“Nick.” She said again, choosing him over Harvey for the second time in that conversation. But she was unable to swallow down the thick ball of fear in her throat. 

“What are you so frightened of, cousin?” Ambrose asked her, as he took in her frightened eyes. She looked like a scared puppy, shivering out in the cold. He hated seeing her like that and she hated feeling like this. Like she was being torn in two opposite directions, with the obvious choice staring her right in the face but the safety and security of the other holding her back. 

“He could leave Ambrose. I end it with Harvey, tell Nick how I feel, and he could still leave.” 

“Harvey always leaves.” Ambrose pointed out gently, yet still firm. He didn’t want to see her even sadder, but she  _ had _ to see the hypocrisy of her statement. 

“And he always comes back.” Sabrina grumbled and bit her lip, looking down at her food again. 

“What makes you think Nicholas wouldn’t?” Ambrose asked. He was asking all the important questions tonight, and she didn’t have answers for all of them. Deep down she knew Nick wouldn’t break her heart but she shouldn’t shake the fear. “How do you know he wouldn’t take the chance to love you back and run with it?” 

Sabrina mulled over his words, silently admitting to herself that if she placed her heart and Nick’s hands he wouldn’t run. He’d place his own in her palm and he would absolutely never leave her side. 

She knew exactly what would happen if she treated Nick as more than an affair. She knew he’d hold her hand in public and how it would feel to have his fingers intertwined with hers. She knew that she’d relish in him being allowed to press her against her car at the end of the work day. Nick would kiss her right there in the parking lot before buckling her in and making sure her car was running right before she left. Or maybe he’d be in the car with her because they’d actually driven to work together after a dinner out on the town and had sex without guilt. Sabrina knew what she wanted.  _ Who she wanted.  _ What she didn’t want? Was to break Harvey’s heart in the process. And she didn’t want to listen to the tiny voice in the back of her head that said that choosing Nick was a bad idea. But it got louder and louder as the fear set in, and suddenly the wide open front yard of the Mortuary was too small, and Ambrose was too right for her to be there. 

“Like I said, I have a lot to think about.” Sabrina stood and grabbed her bag and threw it over her shoulder. Ambrose stood with her, knowing she would go home with her racing head and think herself into a hole. 

“Cousin, don’t go. You’re doing that thing where you run at exactly the moment you shouldn’t. Let’s keep talking about this.” He reached for her hand and she squeezed it, smiling sadly at him. A small tear ran down her cheek as she took a deep breath. 

“I don’t need to talk anymore, Ambrose. And I appreciate your help, I do. You’ve helped me realize...things.” She took a deep breath, kicking the stoop and squeezing his hand one more time before releasing. She shrugged and her smile got a little less sad as she thought about all she had learned. “I’m in love with Nick. What I need to figure out,  _ alone _ , is whether or not that’s enough.”

“Cousin, I think you want to give Nicholas a chance. Why would you deny yourself that happiness?” Ambrose placed his hands on her shoulder, trying to get her to stay so she could at least think around other people. She didn’t answer this question, she was tired and wanted to go home. 

“I’m okay, Ambrose, really.” She nodded and wiped her tears away. “Luckily I have a few weeks to figure it out before Harvey comes home. And I  _ will _ figure it out. I promise.” 

On the way home as tears streamed down her face, she thought about all the reasons why she should stay with Harvey. She couldn’t think of many, fear and not wanting to hurt him being the only ones that came to mind. She could make endless lists of why she should be with Nick though, her newly-realized love bubbling out and filling her whole self. 

A memory popped in her mind from a week or two ago. She’d just shared the news with Nick of Hilda’s engagement a few days prior and was running around the office like a busy bee, and he was right there willing to help. Just like always. 

_ She was stressed. Between the extra jobs she had taken on at work and the projects for Hilda’s wedding Sabrina was a little stretched thin. _

_ Harvey was still out of town most of the time and when they managed to beat their game of phone tag he seemed disinterested in the clients she was marketing and more into telling her about his day or the comic book he had read. _

_ She spent a lot of her evenings unwinding at Nick’s, allowing him to wind her up in a good way, and then give her the sweet release her body was craving. She told herself more and more that what she was doing was okay and pushed away the guilt. She’d be lying if she said it didn’t weigh on her. But when Nick was weighing on her? That was the perfect stress reliever, and it wasn’t always just his body she craved. More and more it was the way he smiled at her, brushed her curls back, and simply listened to her. Taking in all her words and actually hearing them.  _

_ He was in her office waiting to go over some files when she arrived. She had an aura around her that just squeezed a level of stress in the air. Nick could see it, like a hazy cloud around her, that she wasn’t quite herself. Her steps were a little less bouncy and the pockets underneath her eyes were darker than they usually were. _

_ “What’s going on, Spellman?” He asked her after giving her a moment to drop her bag, take her coat off. Her gaze shot up to his and she considered for a moment telling him she was fine. But she knew him well enough now he’d call her bluff and they’d bicker until she gave in. And she just didn’t have the fight in her today. _

_ “It’s one of those days, ya know?” She said a little sadly. Nick took in her sad and tired eyes and his heart lurched to be able to be the one to comfort her outside the comfort of their bedroom. He knew he could make her toes curl and maybe smile in ecstasy for at least a little while. But they had agreed to keep their escapades outside of work after Melvin almost caught them in the supply closet. And he thought her sad mood went a little bit deeper. Something a quickie wouldn’t fix. _

_ “Wanna tell me about it?” He moved to lean on the desk in front of where she sat in her chair. She picked at her fingernails before looking up at him. There was compassion on his face, genuine interest. Her brain flashed to all the moments he’d asked her what was on her mind. She thought about how she thought she saw love in his eyes. Did she love him? The way he was looking at her now, like she was the most important thing, certainly led to the suspicion he might love her. She suspected her eyes wore a similar look.  _

_ “I just have a lot to do before the end of the day. A few clients of mine scheduled last minute meetings that I just simply don’t have time for. Hilda just added like five more things for me to do for the wedding.” She held up a stack of papers. “And Lilith said I need to proof this proposal before sending it out. Today. And the client is living in the Stone Age and doesn’t do email or even faxing so I have to mail it out. Like with a stamp. But the post office is closed today so I’ll have to go to Riverdale and-” _

_ “Sabrina.” He put his hand on her wrist to calm her. “Breathe.” _

_ She took a breath and kept going. She almost didn’t mention the next part. But it was Nick, and despite it all she could tell him anything. _

_ “And I don’t think Harvey really cares. About any of it.” _

_ Nick grew angry, hating that Sabrina was holding on to someone unworthy of her. But what made him even angrier was that this guy thought he could treat Sabrina this way. He pushed down his anger, focusing on helping her instead of his feelings for her stupid boyfriend. He took the proposal from her hands and gave her a small smile. _

_ “I’m gonna go over this and mail it out.” Sabrina opened her mouth to respond but he kept going. “I have an easy day, and I want to help you.” _

_ “Nick I can’t ask you to do that. It’s a big proposal.” _

_ “You’re not asking and I’m not leaving until you let me help.” _

_ Sabrina took a deep breath and let herself relax a bit. She felt better, this project having been lifted off her shoulder. The twinkle in Nick’s eyes made her feel better too. _

_ “Thank you, Nick. Thank you for doing that for me.” _

_ “I’m finding I’d do anything for you.” It slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it. He shouldn’t have said it, even if it was one hundred percent true. It was out there now, and like his feelings for the girl staring at him wide eyed or a blot of ink on a shirt. It wasn’t going anywhere. _

_ Her face grew serious, a wave of awe washed across her face. She stood up so she was near eye level with him. She’d worn flats today so she had to lean up slightly to kiss him in thanks, pressing her soft lips to his. He sighed in contentment and rubbed his hand up her back. It was a gentle and tender kiss, unlike the hungry and insistent ones they usually share. This one was intimate and pushed him even further to falling in love with her. When she pulled back she bit her lip and just looked at him. _

_ “You just broke a rule, Spellman.” He breathed out, surprised he actually had a functioning voice. _

_ “Worth it.” She winked and sat down, pushing down her own pulsing heart. The one that told her she’d do anything for him too. _

The tears that had been nearly blocking her vision as she drove seemed to shift from stress to something else as she started laughing. It was like the sudden realization of what she wanted had soaked up all the discomfort and replaced it with pure epiphany. 

Had anyone seen her driving, they’d have thought she was a crazy person. In a way she was, having not realized how much she loved Nick and how stupid she was being for denying herself what they both wanted. She made a decision then that she’d call him as soon as she got home. When he’d left dinner she hadn’t invited him to her place but she was certain if she asked he’d be over within the hour. Her heart pounded at the thought of telling him how she felt, of asking if he wanted more. But she couldn’t hide the smile either at the chance that they’d figure this all out. That in two weeks time when Harvey returned she could finally let go of him and take Nick’s hand. Never to release it. 

Sabrina pressed her hands free button and told Siri to text her cousin. She could see his worried face before she left, and knew he’d send good vibes her way if she told him what she was doing.

“Text Ambrose.” She started, and really wished Siri had the ability to pick up on her positive tone as she told her what to type. “I’m doing it Ambrose. I’m telling Nick how I feel. I’m choosing him.” 

Sabrina laughed to herself again, covering up her mouth as happy tears welled up in place of the frustrated ones that preceded them. Her cousin was quick to respond, sending a bunch of fire and confetti emojis with a “ _ good luck, cuz.”  _ It wasn’t long before she was home and she couldn’t wait to change and open a bottle of wine. She wanted Nick over there, now. 

In her excitement and wiping back of the leftover tears she didn’t see the red truck on her street. Nor did she see the man sitting on her stoop in his brown jacket, smiling and standing to greet her. She didn’t see him until she reached the porch and he said her name, a deep and chilling sound that whipped her attention to him.

“Brina!” Harvey. He didn’t hesitate to pull her into a hug, despite her body being frozen in shock. He wasn’t supposed to be home for a few more weeks. 

“Harvey.” Sabrina finally managed to get out after he pulled away from her, not noticing that she didn’t really hug him back. “What are you…”

“I came back early.” He leaned in and kissed her then and it made Sabrina jump. She didn’t exactly kiss him back, but she couldn’t exactly push him away either. Not yet at least. The kiss didn’t do anything for her, and her stomach turned violently in the moment when she thought of the person who’s kiss set everything within her on fire.

Nick.

It seemed they wouldn’t be talking tonight. 

  
-

“Good morning, Mr. Scratch.” Lilith said behind her big rimmed glasses and morning report. She licked her finger and turned the page, sending a small glance up at Nick and smirking. “I hope that coffee is for me, as Ms. Spellman is out sick today.”

Nick swallowed heavy and adjusted his fingers on the two cups he held but brushed it off. It was no secret that he and Sabrina brought each other coffee. That didn’t mean their boss knew about how they spent their evenings and most mornings. But with the news of her out, he handed the iced concoction over and took a seat. 

“It’s really sweet.” He warned and laughed a little at Lilith’s expression when she tried it. She set it aside, never intending to take another sip.

“Let’s cut to the chase, Mr. Scratch. I want you in New York. I believe Prudence mentioned something to you about it?” 

“She did.” Nick nodded and sipped on his own coffee to give himself a minute to think about what to say next. “I’m just not sure-”

“What I’m sure of is that you are the best choice to set up and run that new office, aside from myself, and you’d be a fool to pass it up.”

Lilith’s words rang true, he would be a fool to pass it up. But he also thought he’d be a fool to leave Sabrina, even though he was also a fool to believe she’d ever leave Harvey.

“I just don’t know that I want to be in New York anymore...” Nick muttered honestly. It was the truth, he liked his life in Greendale. 

If he was being more truthful he was also in love with Sabrina and he struggled to let her go. He’d been thinking about it a lot lately, putting it all out there and telling Sabrina how he felt. The Summer was nearly over and in a few weeks he’d have to give her up and watch her fall back into the arms of Harvey Kinkle. The thought of not being able to wake up with Sabrina tucked into his side or giggling at his corny jokes was excruciating to think about. It stirred something deep and painful in his chest and he felt his heart speed up. It was like a drum was pounding in his chest and he couldn’t tell if Lilith’s annoyed look was because she could hear it or because he wasn’t giving her an answer. 

“I’ll need a decision by the end of the week.” Lilith ignored Nick’s response with a roll of her eyes. “You’d have the option of going part-time here and there for a while and then full-time in the city by Christmas.” Nick opened his mouth to offer more excuses but Lilith held up a finger to get him to stop. “And before you come out with some excuse, the company can help cover moving expenses. We’ll help with any security deposits on a new place of course and any costs associated with breaking your current lease.”

“I haven’t said yes, yet.” Nick pointed out as Lilith took another sip of the iced coffee. With a disgusted face she handed back to Nick and shook her head. 

“You will.” She shifted upright in her seat and Nick took that as his cue to leave. Nick was about to leave when she spoke again and he turned to her before heading into the hall towards his office. “No girl is that good.” 

Nick said nothing as he exited, mind racing as and ignoring the warning bells that were going off in his head. He wholly disagreed with Lilith. Sabrina was that good, and not just in bed. She was the only person since Amalia that he could truly open up to and feel seen by. But he also couldn’t deny that the job in New York would be good for his career. Pre-Greendale it was everything he had ever wanted, and he didn’t have to ask but he knew Lilith’s offer would be  _ very _ generous.

As he made his way toward the work on his desk gathering in piles and ignoring the people he passed trying to get his attention, he realized one critical fact. He wanted to fight for her. He  _ had _ to fight for her. He couldn’t leave town without trying, without telling her how much he loved her and asking her for the chance he so desperately wanted. 

He thought she might want it too, from the way she had discreetly wiped away a stray curl from his forehead at dinner. Or how she’d brushed his jaw and kissed him goodbye on the porch. It was also in the way she brought him coffee that was the perfect dark roast, and the way she’d stood by him in support when they took on the Roy’s deal.

The morning was just beginning but he already had his plan forming in his head. He’d pick up some medicine and soup and bring it over to her. When she was feeling better he’d present his case, put his heart out there, and hope and pray she was willing to let them be more than a Summer affair. He looked at his clock as he settled at his desk and answered his phone. It was eight-thirty in the morning. 

Only a few more hours to go. 

-

Nick didn’t know what made him knock on the door this time. Many times over the summer he’d reach above her door frame for the hidden key and let himself in. Sometimes Sabrina would already be there, in the bathtub waiting for him or an apron donned and making dinner. Other times he’d get there before her, so he’d have the wine poured and record on the player by the time she came home. 

Yet this time he knocked. Maybe it was because she was sick, but whatever the reason he was glad he did when the door swung open to show Harvey Kinkle smiling behind it. Suddenly Nick was the one who felt sick, all the blood and fear rushing to his stomach. He felt that Sabrina, who he’d barely been hanging onto anyways, was about to be torn from his hands.

“Hey, man how are ya?” Harvey said with his signature goofy smile. It made Nick’s stomach turn more to see Harvey again after what he’d done with his girlfriend all summer.

“Good, Harvey, thanks.” Nick fiddled with the bag of soup and tissues in his hands as he managed to get words out. He was certain his face was giving away his emotions, but he didn’t think Harvey would notice. “You?”

“Good to be back I guess.” Harvey shrugged. “You looking for Sabrina?”

“Yeah I heard she was sick so I bought stuff by…”. Nick trailed off as Sabrina finally appeared in the doorway too, attracted by the noise at the door. He never knew her porcelain skin could get any paler but the sight of her taking him in proved him wrong. 

“She faked sick because I came home early.” Harvey said with a smile as he wrapped his arm around Sabrina’s shoulder. Nick noticed her tense slightly when he squeezed, and she didn’t take her eyes off of Nick. She looked near tears but Harvey was still going on and on, telling a story about how he’d finished up his work early and could return home. 

“Harvey?” Sabrina asked him as she turned out of his half-embrace and cut him off mid-sentence. “Can you give Nick and I a minute? Work stuff”. She added with a small smile that Harvey bought hook, line and sinker.

With a nod and a painful kiss on her cheek that made her cringe and avoid Nick’s eyes, Harvey headed into her place and left them alone. When the door was shut Sabrina walked a few steps into her front lawn, wanting to get as far away from Harvey’s ears as she could. 

“Nick-” She started, grateful that Nick cut her off as she didn’t know what she was going to say. 

“So I guess this is over.” Nick said trying and failing to restrain himself. 

“Nick.” She tried again but he cut her off again.

“Did you know he was coming home early?” 

“Don’t be like that.” Sabrina sighed. There were bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. She didn’t have sex with Harvey the previous night, but he’d insisted on staying over. She’d tossed and turned all night, struggling to get comfortable with someone else in bed. The wrong someone. 

“What do you expect me to be like?” Nick shrugged his shoulders and winced at the slight bite his voice had suddenly adopted. She was biting her lip and looking down. He had no idea of her initial plans the previous evening, so he interpreted her downturn gaze of her preparing herself to let him down easy. He figured she was finally ripping off the band-aid both of them had been ignoring for months. The edginess he felt suddenly switched to panic as he took a step closer to her and grabbed her hand before she pulled it away for good. “Sabrina. Look at me.” When she finally did he noticed the tear that was sliding down her face and spoke as calmly as he could. “Did you know he was coming home early?” 

“No, I’m just as surprised as you are.” She explained and then pulled her hand from Nick’s and covered her face with it. “I just can’t believe this.” 

“Spellman, don’t stay with him.  _ Please. _ ” Nick said and her hands dropped from her face immediately, her red lips formed in a perfect circle as her eyes widened in shock. She couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth, yet they were everything she had been wanting to hear. Just not now. Not when Harvey was right inside and could come out and hear them at any second. 

“Not now.” She shook her head slightly and told him. 

“Why not now?” Nick held up his hands and stepped even closer, his voice raising a little and returning to its panicked state. “Sabrina, you don’t have to stay with him. You can be with me. I want to be with you.” He paused and reached for her hand again, lifting his other to brush her cheek in the gentle and perfect way only he could achieve. He made sure she was looking at him in the eyes as he continued his declaration, desperate to get her to see just how much she meant to him. He wanted her to see that she could choose him. “I love you, Spellman. I’m  _ in love  _ with you. Which is something I never thought would happen, you know that. I love you and I won’t continue to deny it.”

Sabrina took a deep breath and bit her tongue from telling him she loved him too. Nick saved her from responding, his speech not yet over.

“I’ve been in love with you from probably the moment I met you. Even when you were annoying.” Sabrina snorted slightly, enjoying a light moment. But Nick’s eyes darkened again and his smile faded into something more serious. “I thought it would be enough for me, Sabrina, just having you for the Summer. But…” He shook his head and brushed her cheek again. “It’s not. I want more than just an affair.  _ You  _ _deserve_ _more_. I thought I could be the guy you had fun with on the side. But Sabrina I can’t be that guy. Not when you’re the girl.”

Sabrina shut her eyes tight, knowing if she allowed herself to sink into his dark gaze she’d fall into his arms. And while that was exactly what she wanted to do, she couldn’t. All of her body was set ablaze by his closeness and his words, her skin was sensitive with the millions of unspoken promises that had passed from his lips. She wanted this. She wanted  _ him.  _ Yet right now, there was only one thing she could do and then pray to any god that he wouldn’t give up. That he would hold on for just a little bit longer. She blew out a steadying breath and finally looked up at him. She nearly gave up on her mission when she took in his hopeful eyes, that space between his lips she’d admired just yesterday. But she found her resolve and pulled his hand from her face. But didn’t quite let go. 

“Nick, Harvey just got back. We can't have this conversation now.” She was begging him, the tears in her eyes welling up again. She pushed down deep the desire to hurl herself into his arms and knock him to the ground if she had to. But she couldn’t do that now with Harvey in the house. Not until she talked to him. 

“Why because you have to wait to find out if he’ll leave you first?” Nick argued, hitting his own insecurity on the head. He felt his stomach drop at her response to his declaration. He’d put his heart on the line and she essentially said  _ sorry try again later.  _ Her face contorted as if he had slapped her. She wanted to tell him what he wanted to hear,  _ what she wanted to say _ . But this wasn’t just about the two of them, it was about Harvey too. And while waiting on Harvey’s response to her affair had nothing to do with her response to what Nick was saying, her longtime boyfriend deserved a conversation before anything with Nick could go further. She found angry fire alongside the desire at the notion that he’d think so little of her. 

“No of course not, Nick. But technically Harvey is my boyfriend. You can’t stand here and declare your love for me when I have a boyfriend.”   


“Yes, you have a boyfriend. But, Sabrina? I’m telling you you could have a husband.” He stated boldly and firmly. She felt it in her bones that he meant it, but that didn’t stop the shock that rushed through her body and made her mouth fall open in wonder. Harvey had never promised to give her marriage. But here was Nick, all but offering it to her right here and now. She fell in love with him all over again and cursed Harvey for coming home early. 

“Nick.” Her voice was soft and when she looked in Nick’s eyes again, there were tears there. He wasn’t even trying to hide them. She placed one hand on his chest and bit her lower lip. “I want to talk to you about all of this. I don’t want to lose you and…” She swallowed hard, deciding that she could give him something to hold on to. Sabrina’s heart ached to tell him she loved him too. Her lips had nearly formed the words, but she didn’t want to be held back once the truth was out there. She craved to tell him she loved him and then use her lips to kiss him until she was certain he believed it. She couldn’t tell him she loved him and then send him on his way. So she settled for something else and hoped he understood. “When we talk I think you’ll like what I have to say.”

Nick saw in her eyes she wanted to say more. He didn’t fully understand what he meant, but it gave him a small flutter of hope that things might work out for the two of them. He loved her so much and was desperate for the chance to prove to her he could be a good partner. That he wouldn’t leave her hanging like Harvey had done so many times. She hadn’t told him how she felt, but he held onto the way she’d brushed a curl away from his forehead before turning and walking back into the house. 

He took a second to pull himself together before walking to his car. Sabrina didn’t have that luxury, putting on a brave face before heading into the house to find Harvey and figuring out when the Hell and  _ how the Hell _ she was going to confess. And how she would break up with him so she could be with who she truly loved. Nick. 

-

It had been a week since Nick had shown up at Sabrina’s with the intention of nursing her back to health but instead had spilled his own guts and confessed his love. The way the corners of her lips twitched up when he said it told him that there was a chance she felt the same. But his insecurities and crippling fear started to creep in as the days had dragged on and he hadn’t heard from her. 

He’d heard from the grapevine she’d taken the week to work from home, so he didn’t see her in the office and she hadn’t shown up to Dorian’s when he’d met Prudence and Ambrose there. Ambrose had eyed him suspiciously and both of them had danced around the topic of Sabrina and Harvey. He’d hoped Sabrina was spending the week figuring out how to end it with Harvey. Every night that week he expected her to show up, ready to talk, ready to turn him down or throw caution to the wind and fall into his arms. 

The doubt of whether or not he was right to be so forward followed him around like a shadow and he worried that he’d scared her away with his declaration that he could be her husband. It scared him too, as never in his life did he think he’d want to get married. But he was finding that after spending a significant amount of time with Sabrina Spellman, he wanted nothing more than to spend as much time with her as he could.

As he walked down Main Street, he considered just showing up to Sabrina’s place himself to check in on her. The shadow of doubt that always seemed to be there transformed into a full-blown cloud pouring down on him and infiltrating his every thought as he passed Cee’s. The flicker of the light on the linoleum bounced off Sabrina’s bright white hair and caught his attention. His eyes were also drawn to her dining partner, and how there seemed to be no ill-will in her or the annoying face of Harvey Kinkle who sat across from her. There almost looked to be an air of understanding between the two, smiles, and an easy nature that seemed to hang in the space there. 

His stomach churned, coming to the conclusion that he had misread everything and was completely wrong about what the two of them had. It was Harvey grabbing her hand and kissing the back of it that sent him nearly burrowing into the ground, mind all over the place with thoughts of what she had likely been doing with him all week. He thought about how he’d kill to be the one across from her, but instead someone completely unworthy of her had that right instead. 

Before he could think much about it, he turned away and walked down the street towards his car. Nick whipped out his cell phone without regret and dialed Lilith’s number. She picked up quickly and the first words out of her mouth were of annoyance and lecturing, yelling at Nick for contacting her on a Saturday. His anger and grief mixing with each other to form a dark sludge that clouded his judgement caused him to interrupt her, with the most forceful voice he’d ever used with his boss.

“I want the job. I’ll move to New York.” 

Lilith barked a congrats and demanded he see her Monday before hanging up. Nick drove straight home and locked the door behind him. After turning off his phone and pouring a glass of bourbon, he wandered around his place realizing he’d soon have to pack it all up. 

As the night went on he started to realize just how small Greendale was, and he didn’t know if he could live in a place where he loved Sabrina Spellman and he chose Harvey. He thought maybe it was time to go home. Except home didn’t feel like New York. Home felt like iced coffee he’d learned to love and the tiny blonde who forced him to try it. 

Nick was readying himself to say goodbye. Little did he know, he hadn’t accidentally stumbled upon a reunion in the worn booths of Dr. Cerberus’, two lovers finding each other again over a shared chocolate milkshake. Instead it was a goodbye of her own he had witnessed, but hadn’t stuck around long enough to see through. He would have seen her walk out  _ alone _ and pull out her phone immediately to call him, only for it to go straight to voicemail. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think about Nick's declaration and Sabrina struggling to hold in her feelings! Oh and Nick's decision to move...
> 
> Nick's declaration was inspired by Mark Sloan, RIP.

**Author's Note:**

> This story and inspiration for it kinda came out of nowhere but I'm excited for it. For the record, I do not condone cheating. But this is fiction, fanfiction, and it's Nabrina so I feel like anything goes? 
> 
> Anyway let me know what you think! Comments are very appreciated :)
> 
> ***also side note nick’s ice cream description is based off of a REAL frozen custard flavor called Midnight Toffee from Culver’s. It’s delicious and sexy. Just like Nick.


End file.
